President George W. Bush participates in a panel discussion Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2006, at the Minneapolis Marriott Southwest in Minnetonka, Minn., to offer perspectives on efforts to enhance health care transparency and move towards a value-based health care competition. White House photo by Paul Morse
President Discusses Health Transparency in Minnesota
"We've got an interesting debate in health care in America. And I guess if I had to summarize how I view it, I would say there's a choice between having the government make decisions or consumers make decisions. I stand on the side of encouraging consumers. I think the most important relationship in health care is between the patient and their provider, the patient and the doc. ... And health care policy ought to be aimed at bolstering the consumer, empowering individuals to be responsible for health care decisions."
- President George W. Bush August 22, 2006
Health Care Transparency: Empowering Consumers to Save on Quality Care
On August 22, 2006, President Bush Signed An Executive Order To Help Increase The
Transparency Of America's Health Care System - Empowering Americans To Find
Better Value And Better Care. To spend their health care dollars wisely,
Americans need to know their options in advance, know the quality of
doctors and hospitals in their area, and know what procedures will cost.
When Americans buy new cars, they have access to consumer research on
safety, reliability, price, and performance - and they should be able to
expect the same when they purchase health care.
This Executive Order Directs Federal Agencies That Administer Or Sponsor
Federal Health Insurance Programs To:
1. Increase Transparency In Pricing. The Executive Order directs Federal
agencies to share with beneficiaries information about prices paid to
health care providers for procedures.
2. Increase Transparency In Quality. The Executive Order directs Federal
agencies to share with beneficiaries information on the quality of services
provided by doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers.
3. Encourage Adoption Of Health Information Technology (IT) Standards.
The Executive Order directs Federal agencies to use improved health IT
systems to facilitate the rapid exchange of health information.
4. Provide Options That Promote Quality And Efficiency In Health Care.
The Executive Order directs Federal agencies to develop and identify
approaches that facilitate high quality and efficient care.
The Federal Government Is A Major Participant In The Health Care Market.
Medicare beneficiaries, health insurance beneficiaries at the Department of
Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs, and Federal employees represent
about one-quarter of Americans covered by health insurance. This Executive
Order builds on the Federal government's existing efforts to release
Medicare payment information for individual health care providers.
Consumers Will Receive Information Through A Collaborative Process. The
Federal government will work collaboratively in this process, building on
efforts by quality alliances that include a broad range of health care
stakeholders to improve quality and cost information. Measures of quality
at the provider and health plan level will be developed from private and
government sources and will not involve developing or releasing data at the
individual patient level. Participation in this process in each area will
be governed by various regional stakeholders, including local providers,
employers, and health plans and insurers. Consumers will be able to access
information from a variety of potential sources, including insurance
companies, employers, and Medicare-sponsored websites.
The President Has A Clear Agenda To Make Health Care More Affordable
The President's Health Care Agenda Includes:
Allowing Small Businesses To Form Association Health Plans (AHPs). The
President has called on Congress to allow small businesses and civic and
community groups to form Association Health Plans (AHPs), which would allow
these groups to join together across State lines to purchase health
insurance. This would give them the same advantages, administrative
efficiencies, and negotiating clout enjoyed by big companies and labor
unions.
Passing Medical Liability Reforms. The President has called on Congress to
pass medical liability reforms that would help injured patients get quick
compensation for economic losses while reducing frivolous lawsuits.
Frivolous lawsuits and excessive jury awards limit access to health care by
driving providers out of many communities. They also increase patients'
costs by forcing doctors to practice defensive medicine.
Expanding Health IT. In 2004, the President launched an initiative to make
electronic health records available to most Americans within the next 10
years. The Administration is working to expand the use of health IT to
increase efficiency, reduce medical errors, and improve quality of care
while protecting patients' privacy and personal information.
Expanding Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). In December 2003, the President
signed legislation establishing HSAs that allow Americans to save tax-free
dollars to pay for out-of-pocket medical expenses and save for future
longer-term costs. HSAs give Americans more control over their health care
spending, leading to better treatment at lower costs.