U.S. Chamber Hosts First Annual Health Care Summit
Experts to Discuss how Private Sector is Transforming Nation’s Health Care System through Innovation, Improved Transparency, Technological Advancements
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Chamber of Commerce will bring together top experts from across the health care industry today at its first annual Health Care Summit. Participants will discuss private sector initiatives that employers, providers, and others are voluntarily adopting to provide affordable, quality care through innovation practices such as delivery system innovation, health exchanges, value based insurance design, access to cost and quality information, and workplace health and wellness initiatives.
“The private sector has played, and must continue to play, a vital role in developing the innovative policies that will engage employers and consumers and ultimately strengthen our nation’s health care system,” said Randy Johnson, the Chamber’s senior vice president of Labor, Immigration, and Employee Benefits. “Businesses across the country are improving access to quality information and pioneering new technologies to extend meaningful health care coverage. The Chamber, which builds on the real world expertise of its members, will continue to promote reforms that strengthen the current employer-sponsored system and use market-based solutions to lower cost, improve quality, and cover more individuals.
Key speakers at the day-long summit include The Boeing Company’s Senior Vice President for Human Resources and Administration Rick Stephens, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association President and CEO Scott Serota, PhRMA President and CEO John Castellani, CVS/Caremark’s Executive Vice President & Chief Health Care Strategy and Marketing Officer Helena Foulkes, and the Chamber’s Executive Vice President for Government Affairs Bruce Josten.
“We are pleased to include speakers at our health care summit that, like our members, represent a cross-section of the health care sector: the providers, the payers, and employers. Their insights into our current health care system and how the private sector is working to continually innovate and improve is of vital importance,” added Johnson. “For decades, the business community has shown tremendous leadership in advancing solutions. Employers are, and will continue to be, a most critical voice in advancing effective health care reform, while protecting as well as creating American jobs.”
At the summit, the Chamber will also launch a new website component to educate businesses about relevant provisions of the health reform law. The website page is designed to provide an overview of the provisions and rules affecting employers, as they continue to advance innovation in the private sector. The site will provide members a place to go to obtain information about frequently asked questions, simple definitions of statutory terms, upcoming taxes, employer requirements and a time-line of key provisions.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.