Reception for US HHS Sec. Michael Leavitt

"Every American should have access to a full range of information about the quality and cost of their health care options." - HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt Health care transparency is built on four cornerstones: Building a value-driven health care system requires four interconnected cornerstones. With the growing use of electronic health records, all four are within our grasp. · Connecting the System: Every medical provider has some system for health records. Increasingly, those systems are electronic. Standards need to be identified so all health information systems can quickly and securely communicate and exchange data. · Measure and Publish Quality: Every case, every procedure, has an outcome. Some are better than others. To measure quality, we must work with doctors and hospitals to define benchmarks for what constitutes quality care. · Measure and Publish Price: Price information is useless unless cost is calculated for identical services. Agreement is needed on what procedures and services are covered in each ''episode of care.'' · Create Positive Incentives: All parties - providers, patients, insurance plans, and payers - should participate in arrangements that reward both those who offer and those who purchase high-quality, competitively-priced health care. Read about the initiatives, pilot projects and ideas for each of these cornerstones on www.hhs.gov/transparency.