Drafter
Clerk 3/8/2007
title
A MOTION related to the Health Reform Initiative cost-benefit analysis plan for the entire Health Reform Initiative.
body
WHEREAS, the goals of the King County Health Reform Initiative are to improve the long-term health of King County's employees and their families and reduce the rate of growth in King County's health care costs by one-third over the period of 2007 - 2009, and
WHEREAS, two key programs of the internal effort of the Health Reform Initiative are the county's health benefit program design for 2007-2009 (the Healthy IncentivesSM program) and the education and outreach program that creates a supportive environment to help employees and their dependents improve their health, and
WHEREAS, before launching the Healthy IncentivesSM program the county developed a business case to estimate the expected cost-benefit of various interventions, and
WHEREAS, the council through Motion 12131 approved the business case and requested the executive to provide by August 15, 2005, an evaluation program design prepared by a consultant to assess the effectiveness of each of the internal Health Reform Initiative programs and strategies, and
WHEREAS, the evaluation design report presented to the council in September 2005 committed to the production of an annual measurement and evaluation report in August of each of the five years of the program starting with August 2006 for 2005 data, and
WHEREAS, the King County Health Reform Initiative Check-Up: Report on the Peer Review Panel, transmitted to the council on October 24, 2006, is an independent analysis by five distinguished health care experts of the strategies, policies and programs implemented as part of the Health Reform Initiative, and
WHEREAS, the peer review panel made important observations and recommendations concerning measurement and evaluation which the Health Reform Initiative is already working to implement including:
A. Focusing on the Health Reform Initiative as a comprehensive set of strategies while continuing to measure the specific programs individually;
B. Developing a cost-benefit ledger that will recognize both quantifiable and non-quantifiable costs and benefits; and
C. Developing a set of "intermediate outcome measures" that indicate improved healthy behaviors such as physical activity, flu shots and tobacco cessation, and
WHEREAS, the council through Motion 12353 as a follow up of Ordinance 15333 required the executive to transmit to the council by January 15, 2007, for approval by motion, a plan to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the entire Health Reform Initiative, and
WHEREAS, the council through Motion 12353 required the executive to transmit to council by August 15 of each year for approval by motion the Health Reform Initiative measurement and evaluation report containing outcome measures that may be used to evaluate if King County employees are healthier as a result of Health Reform Initiative programs, and
WHEREAS, the council through Motion 12353 required each annual report to include an independent quality assurance review conducted by an external consultant, and
WHEREAS, the council through Motion 12353 required each annual report to be adequately reviewed by the Health Reform Initiative measurement and evaluation steering committee before each annual report is transmitted to the council, and
WHEREAS, a plan for conducting a cost-benefit analysis was developed to determine the extent to which individual programs and strategies and the initiative as a whole contribute to employee/dependent long-term improvements in health and slowing the projected increases in medical care costs;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
The Health Reform Initiative plan for conducting a cost-benefit analysis, Attachment A to this motion, is hereby approved.
The King County Health Reform Initiative Key Performance Measures for the August 2007 Measurement and Evaluation Report for the 2006 Service Year, Attachment B to this motion, is hereby approved. The county executive is directed to include these
performance measures in the August 2007 Measurement and Evaluation Report for the 2006 Service Year.