The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly enacted an ordinance which appropriates $200,000 for a health care task force.
During discussions at the February 3 meeting, Assembly Member Wayne Ogle voiced his concern that a more filled out plan for the task force was not presented.
Stan Welles somewhat mirrored the concerns, adding that in the current state budget situation he was not sure spending $200,000 for just consulting might be fiscally irresponsible.
Mayor Mike Navarre said although the results of lower healthcare costs cannot be guaranteed, the initial cost should not dissuade the assembly from the investment in the future.
Navarre: “What I’d like to have them focus on initially is looking at the two hospital service areas, Central Peninsula Hospital service area and South Peninsula Hospital service area and then looking at health care on a borough wide basis, whether or not those service areas should be combined or whether we should look at adopting hospital powers or health care powers on a borough wide basis so that we can have some uniformity in the different communities across the borough.”
Navarre said the task force members have not been chosen yet.