FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 14, 2006
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ADVAMED BOARD UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTS MILESTONE POSITION ON TRANSPARENCY
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Washington, DC, December 14 --- AdvaMed’s Board adopted principles today that support building a transparent, value-driven health care system to improve quality of care and reduce unnecessary spending.
“Everyone is a healthcare consumer. Greater transparency is a win for patients and the delivery of health care overall,” said Stephen J. Ubl, AdvaMed President and CEO. “Transparency supports increased consumer and provider awareness about the quality and costs associated with healthcare.”
He noted that Board support for the principles was based on the understanding that greater transparency can help to ensure continued patient access to the full array of available technologies. The need for risk adjusters to remove any disincentives to treat seriously ill or non-compliant patients was also discussed.
“Escalating healthcare costs have led employers to seek new ways to reduce costs in order to remain competitive in the global marketplace. We recognize greater access to information on the quality and cost of healthcare will enhance accountability and efficiency in the healthcare marketplace,” according to Edward J. Ludwig, AdvaMed’s Board Chairman and Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of BD.
The principles underscore the need for transparency initiatives to strive to provide consumers with tools to make informed decisions about their health care. These principles urge that transparency initiatives be based on accurate, timely and robust measures which reflect the complexity of the procedures and services available. Further, such initiatives should incorporate comprehensive definitions of the benefits and costs of health care services, including consideration of recovery times, lost productivity from days absent from work, and other factors contributing to the overall value of the health care provided. AdvaMed believes that transparency initiatives should:
- Recognize that Value Is Based on Both Quality and Cost
- Engage Consumers and Place Minimal Administrative Burden on Providers
- Assure Access to Technology and Innovation
- Require Certain Conditions for Development and Reporting of Measures
For a complete text of AdvaMed’s transparency principles, visit /NR/rdonlyres/D1F117BE-11F5-460C-809A-FF16E12B6A0C/20361/transparencypolicystatement.pdf
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AdvaMed member companies produce the medical devices, diagnostic products and health information systems that are transforming health care through earlier disease detection, less invasive procedures and more effective treatments. Our members produce nearly 90 percent of the health care technology purchased annually in the United States and more than 50 percent purchased annually around the world. AdvaMed members range from the largest to the smallest medical technology innovators and companies.