approved-goal-1-01-02-08.pdfIn June, the Health Care Quality and Cost Council set the goal of holding health care cost increases to no more than the annual growth in the Gross Domestic Product by 2012. Today, the council approved a list of strategies to control rising costs. Council members acknowledge it will be difficult to move ahead in many of the suggested areas…setting health insurance rates, limiting hospital expansions and returning to managed care. Council chair, Health and Human Services Secretary JudyAnn Bigby, says work on some of the strategies will begin now. Other parts of the plan will have to wait until the board has funds to hire independent experts who would help design specific recommendations.