Fifteen Indiana businesses, including major employers and health care entities, announced a coalition Thursday to tackle health care reform, reduce costs and bolster the workforce.
Dubbed the Indiana Business Health Collaborative (IBHC), the partnership has five guiding principles: collaboration, competition, education, commitment and results. Former U.S. Rep. Luke Messer, a longtime politician, will lead the group as its chief executive.
“Hoosier businesses, colleges and universities, and the health care industry have spoken: driving better health outcomes for our state will require open collaboration between all stakeholders,” said Messer in a statement. “Successfully addressing health care affordability in Indiana, without compromising quality or access to critical services that countless Hoosiers depend on, will require a market-based approach. The Indiana Business Health Collaborative will unite businesses and health care industry stakeholders to craft market solutions geared towards maintaining a healthy workforce and bolstering the state’s economic competitiveness.”
Currently, the IBHC includes the following:
- Eli Lilly and Company
- Indy Chamber
- Beacon Health System
- Zotec Partners
- Community Health Systems
- University of Notre Dame
- Community Health Network
- Good Samaritan
- Ivy Tech Community College
- Baptist Health Floyd
- Cummins Inc.
- Suburban Health Organization
- Indiana Farm Bureau
- The Horton Group
- Managed Health Services (MHS)
Eli Lilly, one of the state’s largest employers, emphasized the need to increase affordability without sacrificing quality.
“Improving health outcomes for Hoosiers begins with expanding access to high-quality health care through innovative ideas and a market-based approach,” said Kevin Hern, a senior vice president for Lilly USA. “Lilly is proud to join the Indiana Business Health Collaborative as a founding member and support the organization’s five guiding principles as a blueprint for developing comprehensive solutions to address cost, access, and quality of care in Indiana.”
Various health systems noted the need to make sure health care reform was sustainable for local hospitals, many of which are the largest employers in their communities.
“Baptist Health Floyd is honored to be a part of a group of highly motivated organizations invested in making health care more affordable for all Hoosiers,” said Mike Schroyer, the president of Baptist Health Floyd. “It will take collaboration between all stakeholders to drive better health outcomes and lower health care costs for our state. I look forward to working alongside members of the IBHC to develop initiatives that preserve access to quality care and lower health care costs in every community, large and small.”
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