Pacific Business Group on Health Receives 2015 Membership Award from NBCH

Coalition recognized for leadership role in public reporting, payment reform and quality measurement

DALLAS – Nov. 18, 2015 – The Pacific Business Group on Health (PBGH) was honored with the 2015 Membership Award by the National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) for their leadership and efforts to work with purchasers across the country in collaboration with health plans and providers to improve quality and value in the US health system.

Lauren Vela, Sr. Director, Member Value for PBGH, accepts the award from NBCH CEO Charles Smithers and Karen van Caulil, NBCH Board Chair and President and CEO of the Florida Health Care Coalition.

A non-profit business coalition focused on improving the quality and affordability of health care, PBGH represents 60 large health care purchaser members with more than 10 million employees, retirees and dependents in California.

“PBGH is proud to be honored for the work we do on behalf of, and alongside our members,” said David Lansky, president and CEO of PBGH. “We have the great fortune of working with forward thinking purchasers who are dedicated to improving the value and outcomes of health care for their covered populations and health care consumers nationwide. On behalf of our members we would like to thank NBCH for recognizing our efforts to transform US health care.”

The coalition demonstrated leadership particularly in the areas of value-based purchasing initiatives and innovative benefit design strategies. Key PBGH policy programs include:
· Leveraging the clout of large purchasers to improve quality measurement
· Public reporting of provider and health plan performance information
· Collaborating with public officials to inform development and implementation of innovative payment and delivery reform policies
· Aligning public sector efforts with private purchaser activities to support comprehensive, system-wide transformation

Specific payment reform efforts in 2015 include recruiting large self-insured employers into state-based multi-payer initiatives, as well as the creation of a nation-wide Purchaser Value Network (PVN) to harvest and spread best practices in payment reform among public and private purchasers across the country.

PBGH also works with federal and state policymakers to facilitate the use of innovative benefit design strategies among its broader membership base. In 2015, this effort has included shaping implementation of the excise tax on high cost employer-sponsored health insurance plans, alignment of EEOC wellness regulations with the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and clarification of recent HHS guidance on embedded out-of-pocket limits. The policy team also works with the administration to identify and remove regulatory barriers to value-based insurance design and purchasing initiatives like the Employer Centers of Excellence Network (ECEN).

PBGH engages both its members and the broader purchaser community in the performance measurement and reporting enterprise through the Consumer-Purchaser Alliance. The Alliance regularly develops education and advocacy materials for purchasing organizations and disseminates that information through email alerts, a periodic newsletter, website updates, webinars, traditional press, public comment letters, and social media.

“As health care costs continue to rise, coalitions are playing a critical role in reforming the system through community collaboration and purchasing strategies to improve the quality and value in care delivery,” said Karen van Caulil, NBCH board chair and president and CEO of the Florida Health Care Coalition. “We congratulate PBGH on receiving this well-deserved recognition for their efforts to improve health and health care.”

About the Pacific Business Group on Health

PBGH is a non-profit business coalition focused on improving the quality and affordability of health care. The group represents 60 large health care purchaser members with more than 10 million employees, retirees and dependents in California. Follow on Twitter: @PBGH_updates

About the National Business Coalition on Health

National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) is a national nonprofit membership organization of purchaser-led health care coalitions, representing more than 7,000 employers, unions and local governments, and approximately 35 million employees and dependents across the United States. NBCH and its members are dedicated to value-based purchasing of health care services through the collective action of public and private purchasers. NBCH seeks to accelerate the nation’s progress toward safe, efficient, high-quality health care and the improved health status of the American population. Follow on Twitter: @NBCH

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McKesson Honored by NBCH for Leadership in Building a Culture of Health

Award recognizes McKesson’s value-based benefit design efforts and effective wellness program

DALLAS – Nov. 18, 2015 – McKesson Corporation was presented with the Employer Excellence Award at the National Business Coalition on Health’s (NBCH) annual conference. McKesson was recognized for leadership and efforts to improve the health and wellness of employees while creating a health care system focused on lower costs, higher quality, and better health for all.

“While we’re in the business of better health, our commitment starts with our workforce,” said, Jerry Warren, Senior Vice President, Total Rewards, McKesson. “We strongly believe that making investments in our people and community is not only good for business, but also benefits the communities where our employees live and work. Our health and wellness program successfully promotes the physical, mental, and social well-being of our employees and their families. We have improved their health, while also creating opportunities to lower health care costs for our company, our employees and their families.”

Neil Oktavec, Manager, Benefits Strategy & Analytics for McKesson Corporation, accepts the award from NBCH CEO Chuck Smithers; Robin Turpin, Director, U.S. Health Delivery Systems, Takeda Pharmaceuticals; Karen van Caulil, NBCH Board Chair, Pres. and CEO Florida Health Care Coalition; and Lauren Vela, Sr. Director, Member Value, Pacific Business Group on Health

Offered to employees and spouses, McKesson’s health and wellness program is powered by Vitality and includes health risk assessments and screenings, educational tools, physical activities and prevention efforts. The program has had increased employee engagement each year since its inception in 2007 and has evolved from a payout for completed health assessments into a comprehensive health promotion program with an integrated incentive structure that rewards participants for healthy behaviors. Through Vitality, employees engage in approximately 80 healthy activities each year.

Employees have become more highly engaged as a result of McKesson’s key programs that involve incentives, value-based benefit design and consumer-driven health plans. The result has been higher achievements in health including:

• Employees are engaged with 90% participating in the wellness program at some level.
• A 5% lower medical cost trend (resulting in over $4 million in savings in one year) was reported for those highly engaged in the wellness programs over the last five years relative to those not highly engaged.
• Approximately 85% of employees in a health plan have done the health risk questionnaire in the last two years, over 60% biometric screening, and over 40% of the population has verified physical activity through the wellness program.
• For disease management, 25-30% of McKesson’s chronic population have engaged in programs over the last four years, a 10 times increase from prior periods.
• McKesson measures population risk through many metrics, such as Vitality Age (measure of lifestyle risk) and DxCG risk scores. In 2011, 83% of McKesson’s eligible population had a Vitality Age that was older than their chronological age. In 2013, results were at 77%.

McKesson’s vendors are also required to have skin in the game. Approximately $3 million (20%) of self-insured health plan fees are at risk, mostly on risk adjusted cost results. More efficient plans get lower employee premiums gaining significant market share. Wellness, condition management, and transparency vendors have often 35%-100% of fees contingent on reaching certain aggressive engagement milestones and ROI.

“McKesson has an impressive history of being at the forefront of health care innovation, said Charles Smithers, NBCH CEO. “They are an excellent example of an employer committed to improving the health care delivery system and health of their employees. We applaud their efforts and congratulate them on receiving this award.”

NBCH’s Employer Excellence Award is sponsored by Takeda. McKesson is a member of the Pacific Business Group on Health.

About McKesson Corporation
McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 11th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to making the business of healthcare run better. McKesson partners with payers, hospitals, physician offices, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies and others across the spectrum of care to build healthier organizations that deliver better care to patients in every setting. McKesson helps its customers improve their financial, operational, and clinical performance with solutions that include pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management, healthcare information technology, and business and clinical services. For more information, visit www.mckesson.com.

About the National Business Coalition on Health
National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) is a national nonprofit membership organization of purchaser-led health care coalitions, representing more than 7,000 employers, unions and local governments, and approximately 35 million employees and dependents across the United States. NBCH and its members are dedicated to value-based purchasing of health care services through the collective action of public and private purchasers. NBCH seeks to accelerate the nation’s progress toward safe, efficient, high-quality health care and the improved health status of the American population. Follow on Twitter: @NBCH

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NBCH Recognizes Plans for Engaging Members in their Health

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, and Health Net receive 2014 eValue8™ Innovations Awards

WASHINGTON – November 21, 2014 – The National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH), a non-profit organization of purchaser-led business and health coalitions, honored Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, and Health Net with the 2014 eValue8™ Innovations Awards at its annual conference. The awards recognize the innovative work of plans to develop programs that engage members in managing their own health.

“A healthy and productive workforce is critical to the success of U.S. businesses competing in a global economy and we’re proud to recognize the innovations implemented by these plans,” said Foong-Khwan Siew, director of eValue8 for NBCH. “Motivating and empowering consumers to be active participants in their health and health care is a key component to a healthy and productive workforce, and the eValue8 award winners and finalists are excellent examples of leaders working to improve member health.”

New Survey of U.S. Workers Reveals Two in Five Survey Participants Missed Work due to Depression and More than Half Reported Challenges Related to Thinking on the Job Resulting in Reduced Productivity

Canton, OH, Nov. 12, 2014 - Nearly a quarter (23 percent) of U.S. respondents indicated they have been diagnosed with depression in their lifetime and two in five (nearly 40 percent) of those patients reported taking time off of work – an average of 10 days a year – as a result of their diagnosis. These findings are just a few of the key outcomes stemming from The Impact of Depression at Work Audit(IDeA), evaluating the societal and economic burden of depression in the workplace. Employers Health, an Ohio-based employer coalition, announced results for the U.S. survey at the National Business Coalition on Health annual meeting in Washington, D.C. on November 12.

Read the full release here.

NBCH Honors Pittsburgh Business Group on Health with 2014 Membership Award

WASHINGTON and PITTSBURGH – November 12, 2014 – The Pittsburgh Business Group on Health (PBGH) was recognized with the 2014 Membership Award by the National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) for their leadership and efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of the health care delivery system, control health care expenditures and improve health at the community level.

A member of NBCH, PBGH is an employer-led, non-profit coalition of organizations representing over 105 organizations in various business segments including private and public employers, government and education.

“We are extremely proud of the hard work our employer-members have been doing to recognize the importance of creating and sustaining successful health and benefits programs,” said Jessica Brooks, PBGH executive director. “And, we are particularly excited that more and more employer-members find value in our unique programs and use them to improve the lives of their employees.”

PBGH has demonstrated leadership through its Annual Symposium which garners more than 400 attendees each year; several key initiatives including prescription drug, health care, auditing services and flu vaccine programs, and Living My Life Diabetes management program. Additionally PBGH serves as a vocal advocate to support employers impacted by the Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center contract dispute, working with the Governor, Department of Health and Department of Insurance.

Pictured L-R: Chuck Smithers (NBCH), Diane McClune (PBGH), Jessice Brooks (PBGH), and Cheryl DeMars (NBCH Board Chair)

East Penn Manufacturing Company Honored by NBCH for Employer Excellence in Health Care

Award recognizes efforts to improve quality and efficiency of health care delivery system

WASHINGTON – November 12, 2014 – East Penn Manufacturing Company was presented with the 2014 Employer Excellence Award by the National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) at its annual conference. The organization was recognized for its leadership and efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of the health care delivery system, control health care expenditures at the community level and improve employee health.

An active member of the Lehigh Valley Business Coalition on Healthcare (LVBCH) for more than 20 years, East Penn is a private, family-owned company operating the largest single-site, lead-acid battery manufacturing facility in the world.

“The NBCH award recognizes East Penn Manufacturing’s leadership in partnering with health care providers and health plans to improve the quality and cost of health care for their employees and the community,” said Tom Croyle, president of LVBCH.

The second largest employer in Berks County, Penn., East Penn has a long history of being an employer of choice in the region. They received the “Top Places to Work in Pennsylvania” designation for 14 consecutive years due in part to the emphasis placed on providing affordable and comprehensive employee health benefits, as well as their focus on employee safety. 

  

Pictured L-R: Chuck Smithers (NBCH), Dawn Dreibelbis (Reading Health System), Vicki Doule (Capital BlueCross), Rick Jones (Capstone Health Consulting), Bob Johnston (East Penn), Tom Croyle (LVBCH), Cheryl DeMars (NBCH Board Chair) and Scott Fair (First Niagra/Banyan Consulting)

NBCH Adds New Member Coalitions

Growth of business health coalitions reflects growing employer/purchaser focus

on health care quality and value

WASHINGTON – October 27, 2014 –The National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH), a non-profit organization of employer-based health coalitions, representing over 4,500 employers, unions and local governments, and approximately 35 million employees and dependents across the United States, has added four new members in 2014: EmployersLikeMe, Kentuckiana Health Collaborative, Mississippi Business Group on Health, and WellOK.

EmployersLikeMe is a community of learning to help Georgia employers have the healthiest employees at a fair cost. Kentuckiana Health Collaborative (KHC) – convened by the UAW/Ford Community Health Initiative, is dedicated to improving health and health care delivery in Greater Louisville and Southern Indiana. The Mississippi Business Group on Health serves as the state’s voice for employers on health care issues. WellOK’s membership are businesses and organizations in Tulsa and Northeastern Oklahoma that purchase health care that is safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable and patient-centered.

“The growth of coalitions is a testament to the important role purchasers can play in controlling costs, improving quality and engaging individuals in improving their health, and to their growing appreciation of the leverage that can come from collaboration,” said Brian Klepper, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, NBCH. “And with the addition of KCH, we’re pleased to see an innovative new model for coalitions as it’s going to take everyone coming to the table to bring about improvements in our health care system.”

Annual Conference
NBCH business and health coalitions and their employer members will join approximately 400 purchasers, plans, providers and other stakeholders at the 19th Annual Conference – Employers Transforming Health Care: The Power of Collaboration. The event will be held at the Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, November 10-12, 2014 and features Shawn Leavitt, Senior Vice President, Global Benefits, Comcast, as opening keynote. For additional details, visit: http://www.nbch.org/2014-Annual-Conference.

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Note to editors: A limited number of media passes remain for accredited media for NBCH’s 19th Annual Conference – Employers Transforming Health Care: The Power of Collaboration, being held at the Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, November 10-12, 2014. For additional details, visit: http://www.nbch.org/2014-Annual-Conference and registration requests can be sent to cconway@nbch.org.

Employers and Key Stakeholders Focused on Improving Health and Health Care, Reducing Waste and Costs, and Payment Reform at NBCH Annual Conference

WASHINGTON– September 26, 2014 – The National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) will bring together more than 400 purchasers, business and health coalitions, plans, providers and other stakeholders for its 19th Annual Conference – Employers Transforming Health Care: The Power of Collaboration. The event will be held at the Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, November 10-12, 2014 and features Shawn Leavitt, Senior Vice President, Global Benefits, Comcast, as opening keynote.

NBCH is a national, non-profit, membership organization of 54 business and health coalitions, representing over 4,500 employers and 35 million employees and their dependents across the U.S.

“Most health care purchasers have been remarkably passive in the face of skyrocketing health costs,” said Brian Klepper, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, NBCH. “By contrast, NBCH has taken an activist agenda and this meeting will display approaches that have consistently delivered far better health outcomes at lower cost. We believe that purchasers are hungry for these types of approaches that can recover health costs while improving results and drive better value throughout all of health care.”

Speakers for this event include:

• Mary Bourland, VP, Medical Documentation, Medical Director of Compliance, Mercy Health Systems
• Dan Crippen, Executive Director, National Governors Association
• Jonathan Dugas, Director of Clinical Development, The Vitality Group
• A. Mark Fendrick, Director, Center for VBID, University of Michigan
• Grant Gordon, Co-Founder & CEO, Artemis Health AnalyticsDavid Gruber, Managing Director, Director of Research, Alvarez & Marsal Healthcare Industry Group
• Ann Kirby, Assistant Benefits Manager, Hines
• Robert Laszewski, President, Health Policy & Strategy Associates, LLC
• Christian Moreno, Vice President, Health Risk Solutions, Lockton Dunning Benefits
• Tyneeta Morris, Director, Human Resources, Greyhound Lines, Inc.
• Mario Schlosser, Co-CEO and Co-Founder, Oscar Insurance Corporation
• Joe Thompson, Arkansas Surgeon General, Arkansas Center for Health Improvement
• Sally Welborn, Senior Vice President Global Benefits, Walmart Stores, Inc.

Registration is complimentary for all employers affiliated with an NBCH member coalition. For additional details and to register for the conference, visit NBCH’s website: http://www.nbch.org/2014-Annual-Conference.

About the National Business Coalition on Health
National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) is a national nonprofit membership organization of purchaser-led health care coalitions, representing more than over 4,500 employers, unions and local governments, and approximately 35 million employees and dependents across the United States. NBCH and its members are dedicated to value-based purchasing of health care services through the collective action of public and private purchasers. NBCH seeks to accelerate the nation’s progress toward safe, efficient, high-quality health care and the improved health status of the American population. www.nbch.org

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Note to editors: A limited number of passes are available for accredited media upon request.

NBCH Annual Conference, November 12-14

In less than a month, more than 400 health care leaders and stakeholders will convene in Washington to focus on improving health and transforming health care at NBCH's 17th Annual Conference. The post-election timing should make for interesting discussion at this meeting being held at the JW Marriott in Washington, November 12-14, 2012.

Keynote speakers are Michael Hash, Director, Office of Health Reform, Department of Health and Human Services; Richard Gilfillan, MD, Director of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); and Paul Speranza, Vice Chairman, General Counsel, and Secretary, Wegmans Food Markets Inc.

Additional conference speakers include:

• Marc Baer, JD, Director, Managed Care, Target Corporation
• Dawne Carlson, Director, Organizational Effectiveness, Target Corporation
• Donald Fisher, PhD, President & CEO, American Medical Group Association
• Donna Frisch, Group Leader, Health & Wellness Plans, H.J. Heinz Company
• Robert Galvin, MD, CEO, Equity Health, The Blackstone Group
• Nina McQueen, Director, Global Benefits, Facebook
• Matthew Salo, Executive Director, National Association of Medicaid Directors
• Alan Weil, Executive Director, National Academy for State Health Policy

A complete agenda and registration information can be found on NBCH’s conference website.

Donald Berwick Confirmed for the NBCH Annual Conference!

What: NBCH's 16th Annual Conference
When: November 7-9, 2011
Where: Pointe HiltonTapatio Cliffs Resort, 11111 North 7th Street Phoenix, Arizona
Theme: A New Era for Employers: Better Health, Better Care, Lower Costs

Dr. Donald M. Berwick
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Administrator,Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

"Hospitals, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, health plans, patient advocates, patients and their families, and employers. When it comes to improvement, we're all in this together"

Donald M. Berwick, M.D., M.P.P., is the Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). As Administrator, Dr. Berwick oversees the Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Together, these programs provide care to nearly one in three Americans.

"National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) members are critical to this effort. NBCH was out in front early, marshaling corporate America to promote value-based purchasing." - Donald Berwick, NBCH and Commonwealth Fund's Purchasing High Performance Newsletter

Annual Conference Speaker Spotlight: James Fowler

Visit NBCH's Annual Conference page for more information and the preliminary agenda...

James Fowler

Professor, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego
Author of Connected - The surprising power of social networks and how they shape our lives

James's work lies at the intersection of the natural and social sciences. His primary areas of research are social networks, behavioral economics, evolutionary game theory, political participation, cooperation, and genopolitics(the study of the genetic basis of political behavior).

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