President's Message

If you are not already a member, we hope you will join the National Business Group on Health, formerly the Washington Business Group on Health. Since 1974 we have been the nation's only non-profit organization devoted exclusively to representing large employers' perspective on national health policy issues and providing practical solutions to its members' most important health care problems. Membership in the Business Group offers you the opportunity to drive today's health agenda while exchanging ideas for controlling health care costs, improving patient safety and quality of care and sharing best practices in health benefits management with senior benefits, HR professionals, and medical directors from leading corporations.

The National Business Group on Health members are primarily Fortune 500 companies and large public sector employers - including the nation's most innovative health care purchasers - who provide health coverage for more than 50 million U.S. workers, retirees, and their families. The Business Group fosters the development of a safe, high quality health care delivery system and treatments based on scientific evidence of effectiveness. We work to achieve transparency, expand the use of technology assessment to ensure access to superior new technology and the elimination of ineffective technology, and make scientific evidence of effectiveness the standard for care, among many other objectives.

High annual increases in health care costs have been major problems for all employers in the US for a number of years, hurting our ability to grow and compete in a global economy. Everyone is paying a lot, yet the care we get is highly uneven. Sometimes we get the best in the world but in far too many instances Americans do not receive the right care or medical treatment is downright harmful with tens of thousands of lives lost and equally as many hurt by avoidable medical mistakes and health care acquired infections. We are working together to find reasonable solutions to quality, safety and cost challenges while helping policymakers and legislators understand how these issues impact employer-sponsored care.

Our initiatives include: the Institute on Health Care Costs and Solutions; the Council on Employee Health and Productivity; the Institute on the Costs and Health Effects of Obesity; the Global Health Benefits Institute; the National Committee on Evidence-Based Benefit Design; the National Leadership Committee on Consumer-Directed Health Care; and the Center for Prevention and Health Promotion.

Our growing membership, represented by the Business Group's Board of Directors, who are listed on this Web site, includes American Express, Bank of America, California HealthCare Foundation, Cisco Systems, ExxonMobil, FedEx, Fidelity Investments, General Mills, Honeywell, IBM Corporation, JPMorganChase, PepsiCo, Raytheon, Sprint Corporation, Time Warner, Verizon, Wal-Mart Stores, and Wendy's.

Whether you are seeking information regarding corporate health benefits practices, federal health policy or regulatory actions, consultation on and insight into new programs, or access to studies or surveys on health care purchasing and best practices, the Business Group staff is available to help you deal with your most critical business issues. I would be delighted to discuss our member services with you. I can be reached at 202-585-1805 or via e-mail at darling@businessgrouphealth.org. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Helen Darling
President