Minnesota
Commissioner of Health Ed Ehlinger has appointed Manny Munson-Regala to serve as
his assistant for health reform. Manny will report directly to the commissioner
and will help coordinate and manage MDH's health reform activities. In his role,
he will also help manage the department’s relationships with partners, including
those at other state agencies and in the health care community.
“We’re excited to have Manny join our health reform team,” said Commissioner
Ehlinger. “The goal is to have him be a resource for MDH staff and health-reform
stakeholders who can help move our efforts forward and strengthen our
relationships with our health reform partners.”
One of Commissioner Ehlinger’s top priorities is to have the state take a
public health approach to health reform that involves integrating clinical care,
public health, and social services; rebalancing funding between prevention and
treatment; expanding community oriented primary care; and encouraging an
efficient health care market that assures the highest value medical care.
Munson-Regala holds a law degree and has experience in the public and private
sector in executive roles related to insurance regulation, health reform, and
health insurance exchanges. He has served in a number of executive roles at the
Minnesota Department of Commerce, including acting commissioner of the
department during the transition from Gov. Pawlenty to Gov. Dayton. He also
served on the Minnesota Inter-Agency
Work Group working on implementation of the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, including co-chairing the Exchange
subgroup. This subgroup was charged with reviewing the affordable care act
provisions on exchanges and identifying what actions were needed to ensure
Minnesota complied with the federal law, while at the same time building upon
existing Minnesota reforms.
Munson-Regala started in his new position Oct. 10, after leaving his former
position as the deputy director of the health insurance exchange at the
Minnesota Department of Commerce.
