HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt to Discuss Driving Value in Health Care

WASHINGTON, Apr. 28 /PRNewswire/ --

Will Address Stakeholders, Students at Northwestern Memorial Hospital Speech

WASHINGTON, April 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

WHO: HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt WHEN: Thursday, May 1, 2008 Secretary's Address at 11:30 a.m. MEDIA AVAILABILITY at 12:30 p.m. WHERE: Northwestern Memorial Hospital Prentice Women's Hospital 250 East Superior Street, Third Floor Chicago, Illinois CONTACT: HHS Press Office (202) 690-6343

BACKGROUND: In his remarks, Secretary Leavitt will provide a broad summary of the progress made in the Value-Driven Health Care initiative, as well as his vision for its future direction and strategy.

The initiative is a foundation-building effort based on the goal that every American have access to a full range of information about the quality and cost of their health care options. It is a starting point for a vision that involves thousands of players -- including government, payers, providers, plans and consumers -- with widely different interests. Achieving success in building a health care system based on value depends on a common understanding of the need and the goals, and on a continuing effort to increase efficiency and maintain trust.

The four cornerstones of value-driven health care include:

    --  Adopt interoperable health information technology;
    --  Measure and publish quality information so that consumers can make
        better-informed decisions about their health care providers and
        treatment options;
    --  Measure and publish price information about health care procedures; and
    --  Promote quality and efficiency of care by rewarding those who provide,
        pay for and consume high-quality, competitive-priced health care.

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