Making health care 'smarter'

The Western Governors' Association's Health Passport is designed to:

* Enable common data sharing among multiple organizations through an updated

smart card.

* Streamline access and delivery of health care services.

* Share costs among partners who utilize the same electronic service

platform.

* Provide value to children and parents in managing child health services,

in Phase I of the program.

What is the Goal of the Program?

The Western Governors' Association, using public and private resources,

wants to develop a cost-effective way to deliver health care services —

a system that could be used not only in the West, but nationally and internationally.

The goal is to integrate health care information and improve public health.

Who is it For?

The primary participants in Phase I are lower-income working families who

must manage multiple eligibility systems to obtain health care for their

children, such as Medicaid; Kid Care; Immunization Registry; Head Start;

Women, Infants and Children; and Maternal and Child Health Services.

What Can the Cards Do?

Providers and insurers can use the information on the cards, which patients

carry with them, to authenticate eligibility, access appropriate records

such as blood type and immunizations, and manage health and financial records.

Which Agencies are Participating?

* Department of Veterans Affairs

* Defense Department, U.S. Navy

* General Services Administration

* Department of Health and Human Services, Head Start Bureau

* HHS, Maternal and Child Health Bureau

* HHS, National Library of Medicine

* Pasteur Merieux Connaught

* U.S. Agriculture Department Food and Consumer Services

* USDA Special Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children

* The states of Nevada, North Dakota and Wyoming

* More than a dozen local services providers

Source: Western Governors' Association