Health CEOs Unite for Health Reform

The San Francisco Chronicle includes an open forum op-ed today co-written by Lloyd H. Dean, president/chief executive officer of Catholic Healthcare West, and Bruce Bodaken, chairman and chief executive officer of Blue Shield of California.

In the piece, Dean and Bodaken say that there is renewed hope for healthcare reform in the U.S. because President-elect Barack Obama, congressional leaders and a growing number of business and provider groups continue to acknowledge the urgency and importance of providing health coverage to everyone, despite the alarming economic problems facing the country.

The two CEOs announced that they have joined the New America Foundation in launching a coalition of health care CEOs who recognize that business as usual is not sustainable, and who are willing to take risks to achieve universal coverage with lower long-term costs.

“We do not underestimate the size of the challenge that transforming our health care system requires,” they write. “There are many competing interests at the table, and the economic crisis is too severe to believe this will be an easy task.” They note that the national momentum for health-care reform can succeed, but it will require the key players in the health care system to take risks and make compromises to be part of the solution.

The full press release on the formation of the group is here. Check out their goals and principles:

Principles
Members of Health CEOs for Healthcare Reform (HC4HR) believe in the following three principles:

1. Health reform is an urgent priority for our nation and should not be postponed. 
2. Meaningful health reform entails quality, affordable health coverage for all and delivery system reform. This will require all stakeholders to move away from “business as usual.” 
3. A more sustainable health system will require all health care stakeholders to offer and accept changes to their business models as part of a catalytic package that will better serve everyone.

Goals and Mission
HC4HR will demonstrate to the policy community and the American people that health industry CEOs and physicians are willing to be proactive leaders in calling for transformative reforms of our health system. These reforms include quality, affordable coverage for all and significant restructuring of our health care delivery system. 

HC4HR will not protect outdated business models. Instead, it will work with lawmakers to identify policy solutions that meet the long-term goals of comprehensive health reform in a way that is operational and practical for health care leaders.   

HC4HR will capitalize on its relationships with affinity organizations to nurture physician and stakeholder leadership. HC4HR’s members will lead through example and encourage like-minded health care visionaries to join in their cause.