Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) December 15, 2008 -- U.S. health care reform should make improved quality and efficiency paramount and move the system's focus from reactionary care to promotion of health as a shared national resource, DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance said today in reform principles.
"The time is now to change the current direction of health care," DMAA says in its "Principles for Health Care Reform." DMAA represents organizations and individuals dedicated to health and wellness promotion, disease management and other services along the population health improvement continuum.
In making its case for reform, DMAA references projections by the Medicare Trustees of "unsustainable" growth in federal health care spending and points to promising initiatives to lower costs by controlling overuse, underuse and misuse of care; comparing relative effectiveness of medical treatments; coordinating care; and enhancing incentives for value-based care. "However," DMAA says, "the fundamental way to address health care cost is through design and implementation of broad-scale reform to transform our health care system from one focused on reactionary care to one focused on preventive care and the promotion of health as a shared national resource."
DMAA President and CEO Tracey Moorhead says her members are encouraged by President-elect Barack Obama's vocal support for prevention and wellness and his choice of former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle, a champion for value in health care, as Health and Human Services Secretary.
"Like Mr. Obama, we believe our nation's economic future is tied inexorably to a more efficient, quality-focused health care system," she says. "We must demand and receive better value for our health care dollars and align incentives across all stakeholders - providers, purchasers and consumers - toward improving the health of populations through evidence-based care."
Health care reform's goal should be to improve quality and efficiency of care for all consumers, DMAA says. Broad-scale reform must:
A complete copy of the DMAA health care reform principles is available at DMAA.org.
About DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance
DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance convenes all stakeholders providing services along the care continuum toward the goal of population health improvement. These care continuum services include strategies, such as health and wellness promotion, disease management, and care coordination. DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance promotes the role of population health improvement in raising the quality of care, improving health outcomes and reducing preventable health care costs for individuals with chronic conditions and those at risk of developing chronic conditions. DMAA activities in support of these efforts include advocacy, research and the promotion of best practices in care management.
DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance represents more than 200 corporate and individual stakeholders - including wellness, disease and care management organizations, pharmaceutical manufacturers and benefits managers, health information technology innovators, biotechnology innovators, employers, physicians, nurses and other health care professionals, and researchers and academicians. Join DMAA for the year's premier education and exhibit event in employee health and wellness: the 2009 Integrated Care Summit, March 29-31, in Austin, Texas; and for The Forum 09, the 11th annual meeting of DMAA, Sept. 20-23, 2009, in San Diego.