A Proposed Sonoma County Health Care Data Project to
Assist Needs Assessment, Cost Containment and Health Plan Design
Gilbert Ojeda
Director
UC California Program on Access to Care
Context
- The aftermath of the collapse of Health Plan of the
Redwood
- Dramatic double-digit increases in employer provided
health plans
- Increases in co-premiums, co-pays and deductibles
- Continued increases in the uninsured, particularly
among the working poor
- Reduced capacity by Government, state and county,
to address growing demand
The Need for Data in Solution Formulation
- Public-based data for assessing overall public health
needs
- Data to support major funding from the State in
these lean and competitive times
- Data to assist non-profit clinics and hospitals
in their efforts to secure public resources, foundation funds and
individual contributions
- Data for purchasers to protect health benefits and
contain costs
- Private and public employers
- Unions
Kinds of Data Available
- State level hospital discharge data
- Annually assembled county-based data for State public
health mandates
- Data collected by employers and unions based on
health plan utilization
- The State level California Health Interview Survey
of over 80,000 individuals from 2003
- Data from area health providers, including Kaiser
Health Plan
What Can We Do?
- Bring together a task force of local resident experts
and other interested parties to create a Sonoma County Health Care
Profile
- Secure a modest level of funds and in-kind support
from local foundations, companies and public entities to create the
First Annual Profile
- Create a data tool which will assist private and
public decision makers and the public in making decisions regarding
local health care
- Go after a planning grant from out of area funding
sources to support a proposed network of organizations and individuals
to support a multi-year county based effort
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