 |
 |
|
 |
||
Print 
Download Reader 
|
|
|
|
||
Print Download Reader
 |
||
News Release
Pennsylvania Businesses Commit to National Initiative for Improving Quality and Value In Health CareState Signs Support for Initiative In a meeting today in Pittsburgh, executives from area businesses signed statements of support for a national initiative led by HHS aimed at improving health care quality, information and cost-effectiveness for employees and their families. In addition, Governor Edward Rendell agreed to support the initiative and his representative signed for the state of Pennsylvania. Altogether, more than 5 million people will benefit by implementation of this initiative in Pennsylvania. Employers signing on from Pennsylvania include AETNA; ASKO, Inc.; Allegheny Conference on Community Development; Basic Business Concepts; Berner International; CE City; CONSOL; Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh; Citizens Bank; Confluence; Development Dimensions International, Inc.; EDS; Eat'n Park Hospitality Group; Eaton Corp.; Ellwood Group, Inc.; Epilepsy Foundation Western/Central PA; Equitable Resources, Inc.; Ernst & Young; Federated Investors Inc.; First Impression Printing Company; First National Bank of Pennsylvania; Gateway Financial; Giant Eagle, Inc.; Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce; Guttman Group; Hefren-Tillotson, Inc.; Heritage Valley Health System; Highmark, Inc.; Hill House Association; Hilb, Rogal and Hobbs; Howard Hanna Real Estate Services; IGATE; J. Feltric Consulting; Jewish Association on Aging; Jewish Healthcare Foundation; Kennametal, Inc.; K&L Gates; LB Foster Company; Leed's; MARC USA; Manufacturers Association of Northwest PA; Marsh; Medrad; Mt. Lebanon Office Equipment Co., Inc.; NRG Energy Pittsburgh; National City Bank of Pennsylvania; National Institute for Quality Improvement & Education; Oxford Development Company; PJ Dick - Trumbull – Lindy; PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.; Penn United Technologies, Inc.; Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council; Peoples Oakland; Pittsburgh Business Group on Health; Pittsburgh Technology Council/Catalyst Connections; PPG Industries, Inc.; Red Clay Tile; Robert Morris University; SMC Business Councils; SMC Insurance Agency; Shenango, Incorporated; Squirrel Hill Health Center; Southwestern Pennsylvania Partnership for Aging; The Children's Institute; Three Rivers Health and Safety, Inc.; TIGG Corporation; TRIAD; UPMC Health Plan; UPMC Health System; U.S. Chamber of Commerce (Great Lakes); United States Steel Corporation; Upsight LLC; Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh; VHA; WQED Multimedia; West Penn Allegheny Health System; Westinghouse Electric Company LLC; Allegheny County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania The executives pledged to provide quality and price information about doctors, hospitals and other medical providers for all enrollees in their health care insurance programs. This information will help employees choose health care providers based on the quality of care they deliver and the prices they charge. In addition, the employers will support health information technology by encouraging the use of recognized interoperability standards in the health IT products used by their health plans. They also pledged to develop incentives for achieving better value in health care, including incentives for high quality care and for more active involvement by employees in choosing their health care services. President Bush committed federal health programs to the four cornerstones through an Executive Order last August. In November, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt invited all employers, in both the private and public sectors, to take these same four steps. By committing to these goals, Secretary Leavitt said, “Our individual actions will be aligned toward reaching the common national goal of better health at lower costs for all Americans. Today, purchasers in Pennsylvania are joining with the federal government in adopting the four cornerstones of value-driven health care.” Governor Rendell and the Pennsylvania businesses join a growing number of states and companies that are pledging to make quality and price information available to health plan enrollees in order to enable them to compare providers when they purchase health care services. “I am proud that Governor Rendell and leading Pennsylvania employers are choosing to support these four cornerstones to achieve better health care and better value for employees and their families,” Secretary Leavitt said. “Until now, it has not been possible for patients to learn in advance about the quality of care they can expect to receive from a provider, or the cost of the services they will incur. By making this information available, employers can help their employees get better care and better value in health care. “With the commitment that Pennsylvania employers like these are now making, I expect many changes in health care,” Secretary Leavitt said. “Patients will come to expect quality and performance information about health care providers. They will expect to have price or cost information in advance to make good value decisions about their care. They will use this information to improve health care value for themselves and their families. And the choices they make will help improve value and health care quality across the health care sector.” The Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative was also recognized as a Community Leader, a designation bestowed to organizations who agree to support the cornerstones at the local and regional level. Recognition of the group represents a step in building a national network of regional organizations that bring together local stakeholders to improve health care while holding costs down. More information on Value-Driven Health Care is available at www.hhs.gov/transparency. For a full list of companies who have signed statements of support, including those signing in Pennsylvania today, visit: http://www.hhs.gov/transparency/employers/statements.html.
### Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news. Last revised: March 15, 2007 |
|
