Alliance: CEO testifies to U.S. Senate Finance Committee

Contact:
Teri Van Tassel, Vice President, Marketing & Member Services
608.630.4335; 608.210.6633
E-mail: tvantassel@the-alliance.org
http://the-alliance.org/press_room/press_releases/

MADISON, WIS., July 21, 2014 — Cheryl DeMars, Alliance president and CEO, testified before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, July 15.

The hearing was titled “Chronic Illness: Addressing Patients’ Unmet Needs.” DeMars provided the employers’ perspective, focusing on how The Alliance helps employers with self-funded health plans use data to drive change in the health care marketplace.

“We intend to make a real and lasting difference in health care,” DeMars said.

DeMars’ testimony featured the QualityPath™ program under development by The Alliance. QualityPath aims to transform the health care marketplace by designating physician-and-hospital pairings as high quality for selected high-stakes procedures.

DeMars urged the federal government to provide:
· Support for private sector initiatives, such as QualityPath, by participating as an employer and health care purchaser.

· Greater access to Medicare data on cost and quality of care.

· Clear guidance with respect to regulations affecting health plans, with flexibility for plan sponsors to innovate.

The event recording is now available in an extended version and shortened version on The Alliance website as is the written testimony.

In June, DeMars was elected board chair of the National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) a national, non-profit, membership organization of purchaser-led health care coalitions dedicated to value-based purchasing of health care services through the collective action of public and private purchasers. http://www.nbch.org/Press-Release-7.14.14

The Alliance is an employer-owned, not-for-profit cooperative that moves health care forward by controlling costs, improving quality and engaging individuals in their health. Its more than 200 employer members provide health benefit coverage to 90,000 individuals in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa.

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NOTE: Cheryl DeMars is available for interviews.