Minnesota clinics that became certified healthcare homes saved the state more than $1 billion in the past five years, according to a new study by the University of Minnesota. Researchers found that patients who received primary care from a healthcare home were less likely to need long hospital stays and only incurred $7,216 in medical expenses each year or 9 percent less than patients who received care from a traditional primary care provider. Researchers concluded that the Minnesota Health Care Homes Initiative was successful in reducing cost and utilization while increasing quality of care and either maintaining or decreasing levels of healthcare disparities in Minnesota's primary care market. Study (.pdf)