Responding to concerns that the state's HMOs are too secretive about their contracts and profits from big state health programs, the state has launched a new website rich with financial data, care-quality measurements and other information on the plans that cover 580,000 low-income Minnesotans.

"Minnesotans deserve full disclosure of how their taxpayer dollars are spent for health care," said Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson. "This website provides that information in a one-stop shop. We want to make this a user-friendly tool."

A one-stop shop it is, with more than 200 reports by the eight HMOs and the agencies that regulate them.

User friendly? Well, maybe. The site has more than 17,500 pages of reports, spreadsheets, maps and analyses -- and that's before you get to the really technical stuff.

Reports include details of performance on patient care measures, executive pay and state payments to each plan.

They also show how much the HMOs earned, including the sensitive fact that state business has sometimes been more profitable than commercial business. Between 2003 and 2007, one report notes, the HMOs made a total of $51.7 million from their commercial plans and $232 million from state plans such as Medicaid and MinnesotaCare.

The website offers reports in five categories: Quality and performance measures, financial data, contracts, enrollment and reports and studies.

More information will be added, including state audits, annual state reports on HMO finances and contract performance and results of HMO competitive bids for state business -- all part of an executive order by Gov. Mark Dayton.

The order followed some clamor -- reflected in several legislative bills -- for the state to drive harder bargains with the HMOs for the $3.2 billion in annual business. After a month, the website is getting about 100 hits a day, a spokeswoman said. To join them, go to www.startribune.com/a377.

wolfe@startribune.com • 612-673-7253