Ohio Health Quality Improvement Plan

Appendix IV — Co m m e n t s f r o mStatewide Or g a n iz a t io n sActivated Patients.” COSE’s work over the last few yearswith implementing Health Risk Assessments, employersponsored wellness programs and wellness mini-grantsto reward progress is encouraging. While wellness isbeginning to see acceptance within larger companies, moreneeds to be done to increase the participation in theseefforts within the small business community.In addition, COSE’s experience of offering over twentyplan designs for health insurance has shown that a diversityof choice provides for the best fit for a small businesses’needs. We are supportive of the ideas that seek to providean opportunity for educated decision-making by consumersand small businesses among competing alternatives. Assuch, we believe that a well constructed “exchange” or“clearinghouse,” to effectively interact with the state’ssmall businesses and individuals, could be an importantasset in our efforts.Finally, approaches to subsidize and enable access tobasic benefits for the poorest Ohioans are important. Overtime, however, our longer-term health care reform effortscan only succeed if we change the consumer mindset byhelping the consumer make the connections among value,cost and responsibility in their day-to-day health andwellness activity.COSE is optimistic that the Council can attack the workahead with an open, collaborative conversation of keyhealth care reform stakeholders that have a shared focus onimproving access for Ohioans and the health status of ourstate. We look forward to participating in that work andin advancing these ideas in any way that we can with ourconstituents.Employers HealthEmployers Health believes that the OHQI Draft Plan is agood start to transforming the health care delivery systemin Ohio. It is intuitive that the successful implementationof any of the Collaborative Transformational Strategies willhave a profound impact on the quality and cost of healthcare delivery.As the Governor’s Health Care Coverage and QualityCouncil begins its evaluation of the Plan, Employers Healthencourages it to augment the Plan with a comprehensivedata collection and analysis effort designed to pin-pointthe causes of the underperformance of Ohio’s health caredelivery system. The OHQI Draft Plan was created withoutthe benefit of such data or analysis. Thus, the attainmentand analysis of such data will be critical to developing areform plan with the highest possible level of efficiency.Employers Health lends its full support to the efforts of theOhio Health Quality Improvement Implementation Teamand the Governor’s Health Care Coverage and QualityCouncil. If the Council desires assistance of any kind,please convey my availability and willingness to help.Employers Health Coalition of Ohio, Inc.I appreciate the opportunity to participate in theOhio Health Quality Improvement project with theImplementation Team. The following paragraphs containthe activities of the Employers Health coalition in eachof the Collaborative Transformational Strategies andcomments regarding the Ohio Health Quality ImprovementDraft Plan.The mission of the Employers Health Coalition of Ohio,Inc. is to help its member organizations improve thequality, accessibility and cost of health care for their healthbenefit plan enrollees and the communities in which theyreside. As such, Employers Health engages in activities ineach of the Collaborative Transformational Strategies.Below is an abbreviated list of the projects and servicesEmployers Health is involved with and the affectedCollaborative Transformational Strategy:Patient Centered Medical Home• Employer Education• Data Warehouse and AnalysisHealth Information Technology• Electronic PrescribingPayment Reform• Bridges to Excellence• Evalue8• Employer Education• Data Warehouse and Data AnalysisInformed and Activated Patients and Individuals• Consumer Guide to Hospital Quality (www.ohiohospitalquality.com)• Leapfrog33