Our Commitment to Health Care Reform: Statement of Principles
With our partners throughout the health care, business, labor, scientific, academic, and patient communities, Group Health Cooperative will work towards:
Patient-centered care for every person, including:
- Preventive care, coordinated care for chronic disease, access to acute care, and effective pharmaceuticals and technologies
- Collaboration between patient and provider toward the patient's physical, emotional, and social well-being
Affordable health care at both the individual and population levels, through:
- A payment system with proper incentives to improve health, reduce disease burden, ensure safety, innovate, and create value
- A foundation in primary care
- Tools that create greater transparency, efficiency, and patient-engagement
- Protection against the devastating impact of unpredicted catastrophic health care costs
A system of health care that improves health outcomes through evidence-based, team-oriented, medical care, supported with:
- Health information technology tools to support patient health and quality of care
- A wellness ecosystem including public health infrastructure and social services, and supporting the local economy
- Public-private partnerships to support the health care safety net
Shared responsibility of individuals, employers, and the government to finance our nation's health care, including:
- Strong and reliable federal support for state health care and coverage innovations
- Fair, adequate, and equal reimbursement throughout the country
- Integration with public health, education, social services, and other community-based programs that support population health and socio-economic well-being
Freedom and choice for patients and their families to select the most appropriate health care coverage and health care providers, supported in their choice with:
- Accurate information
- Shared decision-making tools for making informed choices about their own treatment
