VZCZCXRO2730
RR RUEHIK
DE RUEHMD #0175/01 0431611
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121611Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY MADRID
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1931
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA 4359
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 000175 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON TINT SOCI SP
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S FEB. 10 MEETING WITH HEALTH MINISTER 
JIMENEZ 
 
MADRID 00000175  001.3 OF 002 
 
 
Summary and Action Request 
-------------------------- 
¶1.  (U)  In the Ambassador's February 10 introductory call, 
Minister Jimenez outlined Spain's success in achieving 
universal health coverage, a comprehensive eHealth system, 
and progressive elder care.  She noted that her Ministry was 
working on a U.S.-EU MOU on eHealth that she would discuss in 
her March 4 meeting with Secretary Sebelius.  Separately, she 
was committed to winning legislative approval for a law to 
ban smoking in public places.  At Ambassador's suggestion, 
she may raise with Secretary Sebelius the issue of reducing 
childhood obesity, and she is very interested in the First 
Lady's childhood anti-obesity campaign.  Post is reaching out 
to the First Lady's staff to determine the possibility of a 
briefing on the campaign and/or a FLOTUS meeting for the 
Minister during her Washington visit.  Post welcomes any 
input or assistance addressees can provide.  End Summary and 
Action Request. 
 
"Much to learn from each other" 
------------------------------- 
¶2.  (U)  The Ambassador had an engaging and animated 
introductory call on Spanish Minister of Health and Social 
Policy Trinidad Jimenez on February 10.  Minister Jimenez, a 
career politician with little background in health care, 
assumed the portfolio in April of 2009.  She was quickly able 
to use her experience as the former Foreign Ministry 
Secretary of State for Latin American Affairs to reach out to 
Latin American counterparts in the context of last year's 
H1N1 epidemic.  Her performance during the epidemic has 
received generally high marks. 
 
¶3.  (U)  Minister Jimenez was accompanied by her Chief of 
Staff Jaume Segura, Director General for National Health 
Service Pablo Rivero, and Deputy Director for International 
Relations Carmen Castanon.  The Ambassador was accompanied by 
econoff.  The Ambassador opened by stressing his interest in 
health care and social policy issues.  The Minister and the 
Ambassador agreed that the U.S. and Spain had "much to learn 
from each other" and "many possibilities to work together" in 
the area of health and social policies.  The Minister added 
that she would meet with Department of Health and Human 
Services (HHS) Secretary Sebelius on March 4 in Washington to 
discuss bilateral and U.S.-EU issues, as Spain currently 
holds the rotating EU presidency. 
 
Spanish Successes: Health Care, eHealth, Elder Care 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
¶4.  (U)  Minister Jimenez said Spain's health care system 
provides excellent universal coverage and costs only six 
percent of the country's GDP.  Still, she noted that the 
current economic situation had generated a "small debate" 
over the cost.  Minister Jimenez attributed some of Spain's 
health care success to a health information technology system 
that provides 97 percent of Spanish physicians with access to 
eHealth records and facilitated 150 million electronic 
prescriptions last year.  She responded to the Ambassador's 
query on institutional barriers to eHealth by explaining that 
barriers were minimized by having all stakeholders -- 
including physicians, academics, and the information 
technology sector -- collaborate in developing the system. 
The Minister pointed out that such collaboration also 
bolstered the international market competitiveness of the 
private firms involved in Spain's eHealth system. 
 
¶5.  (U)  The Ambassador noted that the U.S. is expanding 
eHealth and that the President's Strategy for American 
Innovation includes over USD 19 billion in investments to 
modernize eHealth.  He suggested that the Ministry reach out 
to Dr. David Blumenthal, the National Coordinator for Health 
Information Technology at HHS.  The Minister said she knew 
Dr. Blumenthal and that her Ministry had been working with 
his office on a U.S.-EU eHealth MOU that will be discussed at 
her meeting with Secretary Sebelius.  She also invited the 
Ambassador to attend a conference of EU health ministers  in 
mid-March to promote eHealth. 
 
¶6.  (U)  Minister Jimenez called elder care policy, which 
comes under her Ministry, important for the "identity of the 
government."  She said that with an average pension of USD 
1,000 per month, many of the elderly had to be cared for by 
female relatives who had previously received no compensation. 
 In response, the Ministry began a program three years ago to 
pay family care-givers for the elderly USD 500 per month:  so 
far the system, which is still being expanded, has 200,000 
participants.  Minister Jimenez added that the Ministry also 
 
MADRID 00000175  002.3 OF 002 
 
 
promoted programs encouraging an active elder life style by, 
for example, subsidizing travel for the elderly (her parents 
are taking advantage of the program to go to Bali).  The 
Ambassador complimented Spanish innovations in elder care 
noting that it was a significant issue in the U.S. and in the 
U.S. health reform discussion. 
 
Spanish Challenges: Anti-Smoking Law, Childhood Obesity 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
¶7.  (SBU)  Minister Jimenez said she was committed to getting 
a law passed that would strengthen Spain's existing 
anti-smoking legislation and outlaw smoking in indoor public 
places, such as restaurants and bars.  She said her 
credibility was on the line if the law was not passed.  She 
described it as almost impossible to find a smoke-free 
restaurant in Madrid, and bemoaned the risk second-hand smoke 
created for non-smokers, especially children.  Although the 
relevant GOS bodies had largely agreed on the content of the 
legislation, the Minister said she wanted to wait until the 
right time --  likely in late summer -- to introduce the 
legislation.  She said the tobacco industry was using 
restaurant and bar owners as surrogates to campaign against 
the idea by arguing that it would reduce the number of their 
patrons.  The Ambassador noted that the same arguments were 
heard in the U.S., but in some cases,  anti-smoking laws 
increased the number of restaurant and bar patrons.  He said 
he supported her effort. 
 
¶8.  (U)  Minister Jimenez said she may also raise the issue 
of reducing childhood obesity with Secretary Sebelius.  The 
Minister noted that Spanish children have the second highest 
obesity rate in the EU.  She said although the Spanish diet 
is generally healthy, children are less physically active and 
increasingly responsible for feeding themselves.  The 
Ambassador mentioned a pilot program in the U.S. that had a 
significant impact by simply encouraging children to walk to 
school.  The Minister said she had hoped to introduce a 
public campaign against childhood obesity, but budget 
constraints made it likely the campaign would have to wait 
until next year.  The Minister added that she was very 
interested in the just-announced campaign of First Lady 
Michelle Obama against childhood obesity.  She was interested 
in the possibility of getting a briefing on the campaign 
and/or meeting the First Lady to discuss the issue while she 
is in Washington early next month.  Post is reaching out to 
the First Lady's staff to determine the possibility of a 
briefing and/or a FLOTUS meeting for the Minister.  Post 
welcomes any input or assistance addressees can provide. 
SOLOMONT