Summary: While Congress considers major changes to the nation’s health care laws, states are doing their best to prepare. But, they are not waiting to make their health systems more effective and efficient. Martha King, who directs the health care program at the National Conference of State Legislatures, discusses innovations that are still being made at the state level. In this edition of “Our American States,” King explains the impact that health care has on state budgets, including a recent item in a State Legislatures magazine article that said 5percent of patients can account for 50 percent of a state’s health care costs. She’ll discuss state initiatives, such as efforts to allow consumers to do online price comparisons and New Jersey’s “hot-spotting” program that is proving to reduce costs. We’ll discuss preventive care programs and Medicaid costs in this revealing talk. Transcription of Episode 10
