An Act To Integrate Chronic Disease Prevention and Care into the MaineCare Program
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 0723
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: PERRY, BRANNIGAN, GROSE, MILLER, PENDLETON, PINGREE, TREAT
Amends: 22 MRSA §3174-L

Legislative Document 
No. 723 
H.P.544 
House of Representatives, February 13,2007 
An Act To Integrate Chronic Disease Prevention and Care into the 
MaineCare Program 
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative PERRY of Calais. 
Cosponsored by Senator BRANNIGAN of Cumberland and 
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/h.7!/tu:~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: GROSE of Woolwich, MILLER of Somerville, PENDLETON of 
Scarborough, PINGREE of North Haven, TREAT of Farmingdale. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec.!. 2 MRSA §l03, sub-§5 is enacted to read: 
5. Blueprint for health. Beginning with the first plan adopted after January I, 2008, 
the plan must incorporate and be consistent with the blueprint for health developed and 
implemented by the Commissioner of Health and Human Services under Title 22, chapter 
40I-A. 
Sec. 2. 22 MRSA c. 401-A is enacted to read: 
CHAPTER 401-A 
BLUEPRINT FOR HEALTH 
§1725. Definitions 
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms 
have the following meanings. 
1. Blueprint for health. "Blueprint for health" means the State's plan for chronic 
care infrastructure, prevention of chronic conditions and chronic care management, 
including, but not limited to, an integrated approach to patient self-management, 
community development, health care system and professional practice and information 
technology initiatives. 
2. Chronic care. "Chronic care" means health services provided by a health care 
practitioner for a clinical chronic condition that is expected to last a year or more and that 
requires ongoing clinical management to restore the person to the highest level of 
functioning and to minimize the negative effects of and to prevent complications related 
to the chronic condition. 
3. Chronic care information system. "Chronic care information system" means an 
infonnation technology initiative developed under the blueprint for health. The chronic 
care information system must include infonnation on all reported cases of a particular 
disease or condition in a defined population of persons. 
4. 
Chronic condition. 
"Chronic condition" means a medical condition that IS 
persistent or recurring over an extended period of time. 
5. 
Chronic condition prevention and chronic care management. 
"Chronic 
condition prevention and chronic care management" means a system of coordinated 
health care assessment, prevention measures, interventions and communications for 
persons with chronic conditions. 
"Chronic condition prevention and chronic care 
management" includes, but is not limited to, significant patient self-care efforts, systemic 
supports for the physician-patient relationship and a plan of care emphasizing prevention 
of complications using evidence-based practice guidelines, patient empowerment 
Page I - 123LROI69(OI)-1 
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~rategies an.d evaluation of patient and economic outcom~U!.t}_an Qngoing~~~L~with the 
goal of improving overall health. 
6. Health care facility. "Health care facility" has the same meaning as in Title 22, 
section 1711-C, subsection 1, paragraph D. 
7. Health care practitioner. "Health care practitioner" has the same meaning as in 
Title 22, section 1711-C, subsection 1, paragraph F. 
8. Health carrier. "Health carrier" has the same meaning as "carrier" in Title 24-A, 
section 4301-A, subsection 3. 
9. MaineCare. "MaineCare" means the program for health coverage for children 
0 
and adults operated by the department under section 317 4-G. 
10. State health plan. "State health plan" means the plan adopted by the Governor 
pursuant to Title 2, section 101, subsection 1, paragraph A and described in Title 2, 
section 103. 
§1726. Blueprint for health 
By January 1, 2008, the commissioner shall develop and implement the blueprint for 
health to address chronic condition prevention and chronic care management. 
The 
blueprint for health must include implementation plans in 5-year increments and must be 
consistent with and reflected in the state health plan as described in Title 2, section 103. 
1. Advisory committee. The commissioner shall appoint an advisory committee 
consisting of consumers, health care practitioners, health care facilities, health carriers 
and payors, which shall advise the commissioner regarding the blueprint for health. The 
advisory committee shall hold public hearings and public meetings and draft 
recommendations for the commissioner regarding the blueprint for health. 
2. Content. The blueprint for health must include implementation steps for chronic 
condition prevention and chronic care management, the identification of resources and 
resource needs pertaining to chronic care and requirements for a chronic care information 
system. 
3. Report. The commissioner shall report to the Legislature by January 15th each 
year regarding the blueprint for health, including recommendations for legislation to 
further implement and improve the blueprint for health. 
Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §3174-LL is enacted to read: 
§3174-LL. Chronic condition prevention and chronic care management program 
By January 1, 2009, the commissioner shall develop and implement a chronic 
condition prevention and chronic care management program to provide information and 
services to members of the MaineCare program who are at risk of requiring or who 
require chronic care. By January I, 2010, the commissioner shall expand the program to 
provide information to all persons in the State who are at risk of requiring or who require 
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chronic care. 
The program must include a comprehensive chronic care information 
system and strategies for maximizing the participation of health care practitioners and 
health care facilities. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires the Commissioner of Health and Human Services to develop and 
implement a blueprint for health to address chronic care management and prevention of 
chronic conditions. The bill requires the commissioner to develop and implement a 
chronic condition prevention and chronic care management program by January 1, 2009 
for the MaineCare population and to extend the educational component of the program by 
January 1, 20 I 0 for all persons statewide who are at risk of requiring or who require 
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chronic care. The bill directs the commissioner to report to the Legislature each year on 
the blueprint for health, including recommendations for legislation for implementation 
and improvement.