Saint Paul – Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced the appointment of 14 members to the Health Care Reform Task Force. Created by the 2010 Legislature, the task force is charged with studying the Minnesota implementation of the federal health care bill and issuing a report in December 2010.

Task force members named today are:

State Agency representatives

• DHS Commissioner Cal Ludeman – Chair
• MMB Commissioner Tom Hanson – Member
• MDH Commissioner Dr. Sanne Magnan – Ex-officio (non-voting) member

Leaders in Health Care Organizations and Health Plans

• Carolyn Jones – Senior Director, Express Scripts
• William H. Wenmark – Former Chairman and Founder, NOW Medical Centers
• Henry T. Van Dellen – Senior Vice President, Health and Welfare Practice Leader, Aon Consulting

Labor and Business Community representatives

• Harry Melander – MN State Building and Construction Trades Council
• Scott Walker – United Brotherhood of Carpenters
• Chris Schneeman – SevenHills Benefit Partners

Experts in Financing, Access, and Quality

• Fran Bradley – former Chairman, Health and Human Services Finance Committee, Minnesota House of Representatives
• Charles Montreuil – Vice President of Human Resources, Best Buy Co., Inc.
• Peter Nelson – Policy Fellow, Center of the American Experiment
• Stephen Parente – Director, Medical Industry Leadership Institute, Carlson School of Management
• Elisabeth Quam – Executive Director, CDI Quality Institute, Center for Diagnostic Imaging

The Health Care Reform Task Force will also include four members appointed by the legislature. The task force report must include recommendations for state law and program changes necessary to comply with federal health care legislation.