State Report: Minnesota

The fourth annual "State Snapshots" report, which examined quality of care in the 50 states and Washington, D.C., used a formula based on 15 core quality categories measuring common disease treatments to determine the state scores. Minnesota had an overall score of 66.96. Mississippi received the lowest score of 29.63.

FUNDING CHALLENGE

HIV/AIDS HITS 13-YEAR HIGH

The number of new HIV/AIDS cases diagnosed in Minnesota is the highest since 1995, with some of the sharpest increases among U.S.-born black men and African immigrants, according to an April report by the Minnesota Department of Health.

There were 325 new HIV/AIDS cases diagnosed in Minnesota in 2007, up from 318 in 2006, and 304 in 2005. Since 1982, 8,504 Minnesota residents have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, including 2,912 people who have died of AIDS-related causes.

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP

Gov. Pawlenty and leaders of Minnesota's largest healthcare organizations are partnering to launch an electronic health information exchange (HIE).

The state partnered with Allina Hospitals & Clinics, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, HealthPartners, and Medica, to form the Minnesota Health Information Exchange, which the governor touts as the only public-private partnership of its kind.

The exchange, which is expected to go live in the third quarter, is one of the largest HIEs in the country, serving more than 3 million Minnesota residents.

MHE Sources: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; Urban Institute; Kaiser Family Foundation; U.S. Census Bureau; The Commonwealth Fund.