DHFAC Meeting Minutes
October 20, 1999
Attendees:
- Patricia Blevins
- Deborah Capano
- Joseph DiPinto
- Thomas Grabowski
- Joseph Lieberman
- Vivian Longo
- David McBride
- Dennis Rochford
- Charles Simpson
- Gregg C. Sylvester
- Calvin Wilson
Not attending:
- Charles Reinhardt
Welcome and Introductions
Gregg Sylvester welcomed the participants and the committee introduced themselves.
Review and Approval of Meeting Notes
The minutes were approved after correction. Charles Simpson did attend the September 27 meeting.
Report from NCSL Tobacco Conference
Paula Roy, Delaware Health Care Commission, reported that she along with Reps. DiPinto and Capano, and Sen. McBride attended the NCSL Conference on tobacco settlement issues and those who attended briefed the committee on the issues raised. Deborah Capano noted the importance of establishing a relationship with the American Legacy Foundation and the importance of their proposed Youth Advisory Committees, media campaigns and research (e.g. youth tobacco survey). David McBride echoed Deborah Capano’s remarks, adding that there is much more information available through NCSL’s website at www.NCSL.org. Joseph DiPinto stated that he would like to make a printed copy of NCSL’s report available to the committee and commented on the compelling evidence of the benefits of a Youth Advisory Committee. Moreover, he stated that management of funds should be the highest priority and urged the Committee to set policies regarding this. He suggested that presentations be made to the Committee to help the Committee set such policy.
Health Status in Delaware
Health Status in Delaware was presented by Ulder Tillman, Director, Division of Public Health and by Paul Silverman, Chief, Health Monitoring and Program Consultation
This presentation focused on:
- the major causes of death in Delaware;
- risk factors;
- a proposed model for looking at the stages of health, the factors associated with health and the intersection of the two;
- mortality data and the differences between mortality for whites and African Americans;
- natality data; and
- the many ways to improve health (reducing risk factors, improving the health care system and community health).
In the discussion that followed these points were raised: the nature of unintentional injuries as auto accidents, worksite accidents (Paul Silverman); why the cancer rate is higher than in other states (Charles Simpson); the availability of up-to-date health statistics (Deborah Capano); improvements in health care data (Joseph Lieberman); the importance of looking at morbidity as well as mortality (Calvin Wilson); and the need for data on all racial/ethnic groups (Vivian Longo). Ulder Tillman and Paul Silverman said that they would work to get any additional information that the committee would want.
Health Care in Delaware: Access, Cost and Quality
Health Care in Delaware: Access, Cost and Quality was presented by Paula Roy, Executive Director, Delaware Health Care Commission
This presentation focused on:
- activities of the Delaware Health Care Commission;
- ways to think about health policy;
- health care in Delaware (including the issues of the uninsured, health care expenditures, cost shift, and consumer assessment of health plans); and
- what the Health Care Commission can offer the HFAC
In the discussion that followed these points were raised:
- clarifications regarding the Cost Shift Hydraulic (Thomas Grabowski);
- issues related to indemnity v. managed care (David McBride);
- ERISA and the efficacy of state policy (Paula Roy);
- the need for health care expenditure/cost data (Joseph DiPinto) and
- the increasing costs of prescription drug costs (David McBride).
Tobacco in Delaware
Tobacco in Delaware was presented by Deborah Brown, IMPACT Delaware Tobacco Prevention Coalition.
This presentation focused on:
- tobacco use in Delaware; and
- the need for sustained, evidence-based and funded programs for tobacco control.
In the discussion that followed the following points were raised: percentages of children using marijuana and alcohol (Dennis Rochford); the accuracy of data and the importance of methodology in its interpretation (Thomas Grabowski and Joseph DiPinto); and the decreasing rates of tobacco use in California (Charles Simpson).
New Business
Deborah Capano suggested getting a copy of the University of Delaware Study; and indicated that she would soon present a proposal for a Youth Advisory Committee. Other issues raised were the need to lay the groundwork for public hearings and to resolve issues related to financial management. David McBride asked Lynne Howard to involve the Committee in meetings about financial management. Additionally, the need to conduct new surveys v. the availability of existing survey data (YBRS) and the feasibility of conducting multiple surveys in schools were discussed.
Requests were also made to distribute meeting minutes between meetings and that minutes be communicated via e-mail and/or posted on a web site.
There were no public comments
Finally regarding future meetings, a telephone "survey" of committee members suggested that Tuesday afternoons were best for meetings, mostly between the hours of noon and three. It was decided that the next meeting would be held on Tuesday, Nov. 2, between noon and three.
