Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has proposed giving all Minnesotans access to a secure and portable online personal health portfolio by 2011, starting with one for each of the state’s approximately 50,000 employees in 2009.
The online portfolios are designed to help control costs, increase quality, and enhance safety by allowing consumers to access and coordinate their health information and make appropriate parts of that information available to those who need it. Health information such as prescription history, immunizations, lab results, and other medical records from providers and health plans are stored in a system and accessed by consumers once they create their personal portfolio.
The personal health portfolio is one of several initiatives the governor recently announced to empower healthcare consumers. In addition, Minnesota’s private health plans have agreed to provide pricing and quality data on a single website; the state will provide up to $250 in a health reimbursement account for all state employees who elect to receive their care from high-quality, low-cost providers; and the Minnesota Department of Health will gather input from Minnesotans on the healthcare system and how they can be more engaged in healthcare decision-making.
Read the statement from the Minnesota Office of the Governor.
