WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today Business Roundtable joined other employers, the federal government, hospitals, clinicians, patients, unions, health plans and states in signing the Partnership for Patients Pledge. Business Roundtable’s pledge reflects its members’ deep commitment to creating a safer, higher quality health care system for all Americans.
The Partnership for Patients Pledge was announced at an event today hosted by Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, featuring high level policymakers and business leaders including David Cote, Business Roundtable member and Chairman and CEO of Honeywell International.
“The United States has the best health care providers, hospitals and research institutions in the world but we can do better with a more improved and efficient system. The first place to start is eliminating preventable errors,” said Business Roundtable President John Engler. “We applaud the Administration for taking this proactive step to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders – all of us committed to, and invested in, America’s health care system – to measurably improve health care quality.”
Business Roundtable’s members provide health care to more than 35 million Americans. As employers, they play a unique role in bringing the power of innovation to bear on America’s health care system. Business Roundtable is signing the pledge and urging all purchasers of employer-sponsored health coverage to:
- Use market-based incentives to promote improvements in safety, quality and value;
- Work with other private payers, states and the federal government to align their efforts to measure performance on quality and safety, so that patients and clinicians have the best possible information and the burden on hospitals and other providers is minimized; and
- Share information with employees so they can engage as active partners in getting better, safer care.
“Health care costs are inhibiting job creation and damaging our ability to compete in global markets. Our members consistently cite health care as their number-one cost pressure,” added Governor Engler. “Taking action to improve the care Americans receive and to reduce overall health care system costs is key to setting our nation back on a path to global competitiveness.”
Business Roundtable (BRT) is an association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies with nearly $6 trillion in annual revenues and more than 13 million employees. BRT member companies comprise nearly a third of the total value of the U.S. stock market and invest more than $114 billion annually in research and development – nearly half of all private U.S. R&D spending. Our companies pay more than $179 billion in dividends to shareholders.
BRT companies give nearly $9 billion a year in combined charitable contributions.
Business Roundtable companies provide health care coverage to more than 35 million employees, retirees and their families.
Please visit us at www.brt.org, check us out on Facebook and LinkedIn, and follow us on Twitter.
CONTACT:
Business Roundtable
Kirk Monroe, 202-496-3269
or
Joe Crea, 202-496-3288
KEYWORDS: United States North America District of Columbia
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Public Policy/Government Healthcare Reform Public Policy White House/Federal Government
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