Businesses/Purchasers

Public reporting of healthcare quality data is rapidly gaining national attention as purchasers exert their market power to influence improvements in healthcare quality. Employers and purchasing groups request and expect quality data from providers and health insurers to evaluate contracts. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the largest purchaser of healthcare services, has recently developed "Pay-For-Performance" initiatives to test incentives that improve the quality of care, while making the Medicare program a more cost-efficient purchaser of services. CMS is collaborating with many public and private agencies that have a common goal of improving quality and avoiding or minimizing unnecessary cost.

These efforts and others are gaining momentum in demonstrating:
Value = Provision of Low Cost + High Quality Care

WCHQ is unique in that there are no existing organizations nationally that provide the depth of information from a wide array of providers - including physician groups and clinics, as well as hospitals and health insurers - to more accurately reflect a patient's total experience with the healthcare system (or, as it is often expressed, "the continuum of care"). WCHQ's 2005 Performance and Progress Report is designed to inform employers and other healthcare purchasers on a broad collection of healthcare quality measures that have improvement implications for the care that is provided to patients by our participating healthcare organizations here in Wisconsin. As we progress, business partners will continue to be a valuable resource in building and furthering the expansion of our innovative work.

If you would like to join our growing ranks of business partners, please contact us at info@wchq.org.