May 10 2007
At a roundtable of key business, labor, government, community, and health care leaders from across the nation sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Karen Ignagni, President and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), issued the following statement on progress in providing the highest value health care to patients:
"Health insurance plans remain committed to a safer, more effective and interconnected health care system. Our health plans have demonstrated that they have a unique role to play in achieving these objectives.
"We support the four cornerstones advanced by the Secretary and are implementing specific strategies to coordinate care, empower consumers with information, and maximize the quality and safety of care provided.
"As an industry, we have advanced specific recommendations to achieve an evidence-based system and cover all Americans. In addition, we have forged critical alliances to create a uniform quality measurement system and advance interoperability by working together with consumer and provider organizations.
"We will continue to collaborate with key stakeholder groups to contribute ideas and expertise to create a safer, more effective, and interconnected health care system."
A reduction in BMI among adults is associated with lower health care spending, study suggests