Health Economics Program

The Health Economics Program conducts research and applied policy analysis to monitor changes in the health care marketplace; to understand factors influencing health care cost, quality and access; and to provide technical assistance in the development of state health care policy. The information is used to inform policy makers, consumers, and other stakeholders in Minnesota's health care system.

The Health Economics Program collects data and produces a variety of reports, papers, issue briefs, and presentations, covering topics such as health care costs and spending, the uninsured, private market insurance trends, and hospital and other health care provider trends. It also publishes an online Minnesota Health Care Markets Chartbook with up-to-date data and statistics on health care cost, health insurance, health plans, and health care providers; and an interactive web site with detailed insurance coverage statistics from the Minnesota Health Access Survey (MNHA).

Instructions to submit required data reports for health plans and health care providers. This link provides instructions for health care providers on how to submit data to the Health Economics Program at the Minnesota Department of Health.

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Health Insurance Coverage in Minnesota, Early Results from the 2009 Minnesota Health Access Survey (PDF: 107KB/7 pages)
This fact sheet presents early results from the 2009 Minnesota Health Access Survey.

Private Health Insurance Premiums and Cost Drivers in Minnesota, 2008 (PDF: 86KB/7 pages)
This issue brief examines the latest trends in private health insurance premiums and underlying claims cost in Minnesota and compares findings to historical trends. (November, 2009)

Minnesota Health Care Spending in 2007 (PDF: 76KB/6 pages)
This issue brief provides detailed estimates of health care spending in Minnesota in 2007, an analysis of recent trends, and comparisons between Minnesota and the nation overall. (November, 2009)

Baseline Health Care Spending Projections to 2018 (PDF: 78KB/5 pages)
This issue brief presents baseline health care spending projections for Minnesota through 2018, as required by the 2008 health reform law. The projections establish a baseline for what health care spending growth in Minnesota would have been without the recent reforms; in the future, differences between actual spending and the baseline projections will be used to estimate savings attributable to the reforms. (June, 2009)

Community Benefit Provided by Minnesota's Hospitals in 2007 (PDF: 100 KB/11 pages)
This is the first annual report on community benefit provided by hospitals in Minnesota. It includes summary information and hospital-specific data for 2007 for nine community benefit categories that are reportable under Minnesota statutes. (May, 2009)

Access to Care and Health Status Among Uninsured Minnesotans, 2007 (PDF: 70KB/4 pages)
This issue brief presents findings on health care access and health status among uninsured Minnesotans compared to people with private health insurance coverage. (April, 2009)

Minnesota Health Care Spending in 2006 (PDF: 73KB/5 pages)
This issue brief provides detailed estimates of health care spending in Minnesota in 2006, an analysis of recent trends and comparisons to national trends.
(April, 2009)

Distribution of Health Insurance Coverage in Minnesota, 2006 (PDF: 306 KB/4 pages)
This issue brief describes the distribution of coverage for 2006 and analyzes some of the recent trends. (January, 2009)

Health Insurance Affordability Study (PDF: 875KB/80 pages)
This report to the Legislature analyzes issues related to subsidizing premiums and out of pocket costs for employer health insurance coverage, and estimates the enrollment and cost associated with different ways of administering this type of subsidy program. (January, 2009)

Health Plan Community Benefit Study (PDF: 775KB/33 pages)
This report to the Legislature analyzes issues relating to defining and reporting community benefit provided by nonprofit health plans in Minnesota. (January, 2009)

Administrative Costs at Minnesota Health Plans in 2007 (PDF: 378KB/56 pages)
This report contains information about administrative costs reported by health plan companies (group purchasers) doing business in Minnesota during 2007. (December 2008)

Minnesota Hospital Patient Origin Report (PDF: 1152KB/110 pages)
This report provides information on the geographic patterns of hospital use in 2006, by county of residence and for hospitals in each county. It is an update to a previous report using 2000 data. (December 2008)

Private Health Insurance Cost Trends in Minnesota, 2007 (PDF:98 KB/4 pages)
This issue brief examines private health insurance premium and cost trends in Minnesota for 2007 and earlier years. In 2007, health insurance premiums per enrollee grew by 8.4 percent, while enrollee out of pocket spending and health plan costs per enrollee grew by 13.8 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively." (September, 2008)

Health Insurance Coverage in Minnesota, Results for 2007 (PDF:110 KB/6 pages)
This fact sheet presents findings from the 2007 MN Health Access Survey. These results update the preliminary fact sheet published in January, 2008. (April, 2008)

MN Hospital Public Interest Review: Proposal for a Specialty Psychiatric Hospital in Woodbury (PDF: 2.88MB/81 pages)
This report to the Legislature presents the results of MDH's review of a proposal to contruct a specialty psychiatric hospital in Woodbury. (February, 2008)

Health Insurance Exchange Study (PDF:135 KB/15 pages)
This report to the Legislature examines the possibility of establishing a health insurance exchange that would provide individuals with greater access, choice, portability, and affordability of health insurance products. (February, 2008)

• Mathematica Final Report: Health Insurance Exchange Study (PDF:482 KB/136 pages) (March, 2008)
  
• Focus Groups with Employers and Insurance Brokers (PDF:216 KB/56 pages) (March, 2008)
  

Administrative Costs at Minnesota Health Plans in 2006 (PDF:708 KB/52 pages)
This report contains information about administrative costs reported by health plan companies (group purchasers)
doing business in Minnesota during 2006. (January, 2008)

Distribution of Health Insurance Coverage in Minnesota, 2005 (PDF:358 KB/3 pages)
This issue brief describes the distribution of coverage for 2005 and analyzes some of the recent trends. (February, 2008)

Minnesota Health Care Spending in 2005 (PDF:345 KB/4 pages)
This issue brief provides detailed estimates for 2005 health care spending in Minnesota, with analysis of recent trends and comparisons to the national average. (Published: 12/2007) (December, 2007)

Trends in Minnesota Hospital Quality (PDF:355 KB/4 pages)
This issue brief summarizes the trends in Minnesota hospital performance on available measures for the most recent two full years of data available - referred to as year one (July 2004-June 2005) and year two (July 2005-June 2006). (December, 2007)

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