Public health policy shift leaves county officials in dark

July 30--MANTORVILLE -- After receiving a surprise notice from the state government, a county-based health-care purchasing group serving mostly low-income and elderly patients is in danger of going out of business.

During the Dodge County Board meeting held Tuesday evening, commissioner David Erickson said that the Minnesota Department of Human Services had issued a notice to the South Country Health Alliance that they would be invited to enter contract negotiations with the state for a 2016 Families and Children's contract in only one out of the 11 counties SCHA serves -- Dodge.

kAmQ}@H E9:D :D 8@??2 36 2 A@=:E:42= W2?5X =682= :DDF6[Q D2:5 4@>>:DD:@?6C s2G:5 tC:4<D@? 5FC:?8 E96 >66E:?8] Q(6VC6 ;FDE ECJ:?8 E@ 7:8FC6 @FE H92EVD 8@:?8 @?]Qk^Am

kAm%96 $rwp :D 2 4@F?EJ\32D65 AFC492D:?8 @C82?:K2E:@? H:E9 2=>@DE bf[___ >6>36CD :? G2C:@FD AC@8C2>D] (:E9 E96 492?86[ $@FE9 r@F?ECJVD >6>36CD9:A H:== 5C@A E@ e[___[ 2?5 H:E9 E96 7:?2?4:2= 3FC56? 7C@> E96 564C62D6 :? >6>36CD9:A[ E96C6VD E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ E92E $@FE9 r@F?ECJ >:89E 8@ @FE @7 3FD:?6DD[ D2:5 {6@E2 {:?5[ rt~ @7 $@FE9 r@F?ECJ :? 2? 6>2:=]k^Am

kAm$@FE9 r@F?ECJVD E@E2= >6>36CD9:A :? E96 |65:42= pDD:DE2?46[ 4@G6C:?8 =@H\:?4@>6 A6@A=6[ H@F=5 36 C65F465 3J ah[aba[ 2?5 |:??6D@E2r2C6 >6>36CD9:A 3J a[_ca]k^Am

kAmQ(6 <?@H E92E E9:D H:== 92G6 2 D:8?:7:42?E=J ?682E:G6 :>A24E @? @FC >6>36CD[ AC@G:56CD[ 4@F?E:6D 2?5 E96 @C82?:K2E:@? :ED6=7[Q {:?5 D2:5] Q(6 H:== A@E6?E:2==J D66 2? gd A6C46?E C65F4E:@? :? @FC @G6C2== 6?C@==>6?E[ H9:49 >2J E9C62E6? E96 G:23:=:EJ @7 E96 @C82?:K2E:@?]Qk^Am

kAm%96 DE2E6 @7 |:??6D@E2 H2D 4@?5F4E:?8 2 DE2E6H:56 4@>A6E:E:G6 3:55:?8 AC@46DD 7@C >2?2865 42C6 4@?EC24ED E@ 4@G6C 6?C@==66D :? E96 DE2E6VD |65:42= pDD:DE2?46 2?5 |:??6D@E2r2C6 !C@8C2>D[ H9:49 H2D k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]DE2CEC:3F?6]4@>^>:??6D@E2\@77:4:2=D\E@FE\ed_\>:==:@?\:?\9>@\D2G:?8D^b'ghdbbc'^Qm2??@F?465 3J v@G] |2C< s2JE@? 2?5 E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 wF>2? $6CG:46D r@>>:DD:@?6C {F4:?52 y6DD@? %F6D52J]k^2mk^Am

kAm!@DD:3=6 67764ED 7C@> E96 D9:7E H@F=5 :?4=F56 =@D:?8 E96 r@>>F?:EJ r2C6 r@??64E@C[ 4@F?E:6D 92G:?8 =:>:E65 23:=:EJ E@ G@:46 E96:C @A:?:@?D @? 962=E9 A=2? A@=:4:6D @C @A6C2E:@?D[ A@E6?E:2= :>A24E E@ AC@G:56C C6:>3FCD6>6?E[ 2?5 ?6H w62=E9J !2E9H2JD !C@8C2> H@F=5 ?@E 36 2G2:=23=6 E@ 6?C@==65 >6>36CD[ {:?5 D2:5]k^Am

kAmQ%9:D 564:D:@? 42>6 2D 2 8C62E DFCAC:D6 2?5 5:D2AA@:?E>6?E E@ $@FE9 r@F?ECJ 2?5 @FC >6>36C 4@F?E:6D[Q {:?5 D2:5] Q%9:D :D G6CJ C646?E :?7@C>2E:@? 2?5 H6 2C6 DE:== ECJ:?8 E@ 56E6C>:?6 E96 7F== :>A24E 2?5 2C6 4FCC6?E=J 6G2=F2E:?8 @FC @AE:@?D]Qk^Am

kAmsFC:?8 E96 =2DE 'c J62CD[ 4@F?E:6D E9C@F89 E96 2==:2?46 925 25>:?:DE6C65 962=E9 42C6 AC@8C2>D 7@C 4@F?EJ C6D:56?ED[ 4@@C5:?2E:?8 E96:C 962=E9 42C6 D6CG:46D H:E9 D6CG:46D AC@G:565 E9C@F89 AF3=:4 962=E9 2?5 9F>2? D6CG:46D]k^Am

kAmQ(6 <?@H E92E E9:D H:== 92G6 2 D:8?:7:42?E=J ?682E:G6 :>A24E @? @FC >6>36CD[ AC@G:56CD[ 4@F?E:6D 2?5 E96 @C82?:K2E:@? :ED6=7[Q {:?5 D2:5] Q(6 H:== A@E6?E:2==J D66 2? gd A6C46?E C65F4E:@? :? @FC @G6C2== 6?C@==>6?E[ H9:49 >2J E9C62E6? E96 G:23:=:EJ @7 E96 @C82?:K2E:@?]k^Am

kAm$@FE9 r@F?ECJ 4FCC6?E=J 4@?EC24ED H:E9 E96 7@==@H:?8 4@F?E:6Di qC@H?[ s@586[ uC663@C?[ v@@59F6[ z2?2364[ |@CC:D@?[ $:3=6J[ $E66=6[ %@55[ (232D92[ (256?2[ 2?5 (2D642[ 244@C5:?8 E@ :ED H63D:E6]k^Am

kAmrFCC6?E=J[ $@FE9 r@F?ECJ 7F?5D 2 >2;@C A@CE:@? @7 DE277 A@D:E:@?D 7@C E96 w62=E9r2C6 r@@C5:?2E@CD 2E E96 ~H2E@??2 w@DA:E2= 2?5 }6H &=> |65:42= r6?E6C[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 2? 6>2:= DF3>:EE65 3J {:?5 E@ E96 s@586 r@F?EJ 4@>>:DD:@?6CD]k^Am

kAmQ{@42= AC:>2CJ 42C6 4=:?:4D H@F=5 36 27764E65 3J E96 =@DD @7 C6G6?F6 E9C@F89 $@FE9 r@F?ECJ !2J 7@C !6C7@C>2?46 !C@8C2>D[Q D96 925 HC@E6]k^Am

kAmp== >6>36CD H:E9 $@FE9 r@F?ECJ H@F=5 ?@ =@?86C 36 6?C@==65 67764E:G6 2D @7 s64] b' 2?5 H@F=5 ?665 E@ DH:E49 E@ 2 ?6H 962=E9 A=2? DE2CE:?8 y2?] '[ a_'e[ H9:49 4@F=5 C6DF=E :? 2 5:DCFAE:@? @7 42C6 7@C D@>6[ :7 E96 ?6H A=2? :D 5:776C6?E]k^Am

kAmk^Am

___

(c)2015 the Post-Bulletin

Visit the Post-Bulletin at www.postbulletin.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.