Thursday, 22 February 2007
Vermont Businesses Join National Plan To Improve Healthcare
Vermont businesses IBM, Harpoon Brewery, Jolley Associates, Verizon, and Vermont Easter Seals have all committed to joining a national initiative to improve healthcare quality for American employees. Vermont Governor Jim Douglas, Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, and executives from the Vermont companies all met to sign statements in support of the initiative.
The initiative calls for businesses to provide detailed information about the prices charged and the quality of care delivered by doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers. With this information, employees will be able to make informed decisions. It is also hoped that the market pressure brought by consumers “shopping around” for the best quality and value will help contain healthcare costs.
“With the commitment that employers like these are now making, this situation will change,” said Secretary Leavitt.
“Patients will come to expect quality and performance information about healthcare 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 healthcare sector,” he added.
The national plan is based on 4 ‘cornerstones,’ that allow businesses to give their employees more choice in their healthcare. These cornerstones include supporting health information technology, providing incentives for better value in care, providing incentives for better quality, and giving employees more involvement in choosing care services.
“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,” said Secretary Leavitt.
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