HHS Names the Midwest Business Group on Health as Community Leader to Promote Health Care Transparency

CHICAGO (Map) - CHICAGO, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt announced today the Chicago-based Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH) has been selected as a "Community Leader for Value-Driven Health Care." The Community Leader distinction is awarded to an organization that leads collaborative efforts to move the market toward the collection and use of quality, safety and price data for health care professionals and facilities. The goal is to recognize and improve the performance of the health care system.

HHS is promoting public-private purchaser partnerships around the nation to achieve the Four Cornerstones of Value-Driven Health Care: interoperable health information technology (health IT); transparency of price information; transparency of quality information; and the use of incentives to promote high-quality and cost-efficient health care.

"MBGH looks forward to working with other coalitions and business organizations, such as the Illinois and Chicagoland Chambers, state and local government, health plans, health systems and health professionals to promote health IT and the public's need for understandable information on the quality and price of health services," said Larry Boress, president of MBGH.

MBGH, along with a number of major Illinois employers, including Boeing, Caterpillar and McDonalds, have already indicated their support for the Four Cornerstones and their intent to:

-- ask health plans to take responsibility for provider measurement, reporting, and incentives;

-- partner with collaboratives that leverage purchasing power and resources to reinforce the transparency message among plans, providers, health IT vendors, and consumers;

-- use effective communications and other tools to engage employees and their dependents in informed selection of providers and treatments; and

-- include performance metrics in contracts with health plans that enforce and reward the cornerstones.

About the Midwest Business Group on Health (www.mbgh.org)

Founded in 1980, the Chicago-based, Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH), is one of the nation's leading non-profit coalitions of private and public employers. MBGH's 85+ members provide health benefits to over 2 million covered lives, spending more than $2.3 billion on health care benefits on an annual basis. MBGH offers employers a variety of quality and community initiatives, group purchasing programs, health benefit educational seminars and networking opportunities. MBGH is a member of the National Business Coalition on Health.