My mandate as governor is to create a health care system that is accessible and affordable for Minnesotans. This cannot be accomplished by Dayton’s proposal for a government-run, single-payer system or by Emmer’s application of a charity care system. As an independent governor, I will bring real solutions to managing the rising cost of health care, expanding access and maintaining quality.  My plan entails:

-Pay for outcomes not procedures. Health providers should be compensated for improving the health of people, not just providing more treatments. Pay only for what we know works. The state can be a leader in this arena, using its enormous purchasing power to shift spending from managing sick care to driving good health outcomes. Both the Governor’s Health Care Transformation Task Force and the independent “Bottom Line” project estimated that not only could this save taxpayers up to $3.7 billion, it could improve Minnesotans’ health.

-Coordinate care for expensive chronic conditions. Set the system right the first time, so there is one health care practitioner that understands and manages multiple conditions for a patient. Coordination eliminates duplication in treatments and multiple and mixed prescriptions.

-Make the upfront investment in technology (including personal health records). Give people ownership of their own health records, which means they can easily transport from one doctor to the next as well as monitor their progress.

-Reform public health programs, but don’t eliminate coverage for the most vulnerable in our state and pretend that it is a cost-saving. For many people, health coverage simply isn’t affordable. Helping them gain access to good health care is in everyone’s best interests. We pay for the uninsured one way or the other — through lost productivity, an inability to succeed in school, expensive emergency room care and many other ways.

-Emphasize personal responsibility. The system needs to reward preventive care and good health habits. Push for public policy that reduces tobacco consumption and promotes healthy nutrition and exercise.

These proposals require something from each of us. Most of all, though, they require leadership, not the rhetoric of empty solutions. Minnesota can continue to be a world leader in health, but we need honest discussion about the real choices we face.