| Copyright: | PR Newswire |
| Source: | PR Newswire |
| Wordcount: | 388 |
Businesses, Unions, Doctors, Health Plans, and Federal, State, and Local
Governments Join Together to Deliver Better Care at Lower Cost
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt will announce significant progress toward
changing the marketplace and the way U.S. consumers access information about
health care quality and cost at a roundtable of key business, union,
government, community, and health care leaders from across the nation.
Approximately half of the top 200 U.S. corporations have committed to the
value-driven health care movement, which was launched in 2006.
Under the initiative, employers, unions, and federal, state, and local
governments commit their health plans to providing useful information to
consumers about the quality and cost of care delivered by different doctors,
hospitals, and other providers. In this way, consumers can compare their
options and make health care choices based on value -- demonstrated quality of
care at the best price.
In less than a year, hundreds of partners have committed to the four
cornerstones of value-driven care: health information technology, public
reporting of quality information, public reporting of costs, and incentives
for value comparison. Participants in this meeting represent the health care
purchasers, providers, and health plans that are applying these practices and
increasing transparency in the health care marketplace.
WHAT: Roundtable meeting to mark the shift toward a value-driven health
care system that provides better care at lower cost and empowers
consumers to make better health care decisions.
WHEN: Wednesday, May 9, 2007 at 10:30 a.m.
Participants will be available for media Q&A following program
WHERE: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Great Hall, Hubert H. Humphrey Building,
200 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C.
PARTICIPANTS:
-- Gov. Donald L. Carcieri, -- Dr. John Tooker,
Rhode Island American College of Physicians
-- Al Hubbard, Assistant to the -- Karen Ignagni, CEO, America's
President for Economic Policy Health Insurance Plans
and Director, National Economic -- Ron Williams, CEO, Aetna
Council -- Jonathan T. Lord, M.D., Humana
-- Ron Sims, King County Executive, -- Angela Braly, CEO (Incoming),
Seattle, WA Wellpoint
-- John J. Castellani, President, -- H. Edward Hanway, CEO, Cigna
Business Roundtable -- Steve Hemsley, CEO, UnitedHealth
-- Ivan Seidenberg, CEO, Verizon Group
-- Andy Stern, President, Service -- Scott Serota, CEO, Blue Cross Blue
Employees International Union Shield Assn.
CONTACT: HHS Press Office, +1-202-690-6343.
SOURCE U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
