Support Grows for Baldwin's Bipartisan Medicare Data Legislation

Press Release

This week, 37 organizations representing patients, providers, insurers, employers and researchers called on Congress to quickly pass U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin's (D-WI) Quality Data, Quality Healthcare Act, which would increase the transparency of healthcare costs in Medicare--helping doctors, health systems, private insurers and research institutions provide more efficient, higher quality healthcare and better patient outcomes. Baldwin introduced the legislation with South Dakota Republican Senator John Thune on Monday.

"Medicare is the single largest payer of healthcare services in the country, spending over $600 billion each year. But we know very little about what we are paying for," said Baldwin. "The Quality Data, Quality Healthcare Act provides access to that data and puts it into the hands of those who can best use it, helping doctors make more informed decisions and improving how we deliver healthcare. I'm proud to see such broad support for this commonsense, bipartisan legislation."

Led by the Council for Affordable Health Coverage, Clear Choices and National Coalition on Health Care the letter to Congressional leadership includes endorsements from:

AARP

American Academy of Family Physicians

American Academy of Nursing

American Association of Birth Centers

ASC Association

athena health

CalPERS

Center for Improving Value in Health Care

Common Table Health Alliance

Council for Affordable Health Coverage

Greater Detroit Area Health Council

HealthBridge

Health Collaborative

HealthInsight

Health IT Now

Insurance, Benefits & Advisors, LLC

Maine Health Management Coalition

Marshfield Clinic Health System

Midwest Business Group on Health

MN Community Measurement

National Association of Manufacturers

National Coalition on Health Care

National Consumers League

National Retail Federation

National Physicians Alliance

Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement

Oregon Health Care Quality Corporation

Pacific Business Group on Health

Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative

St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition

ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value

Virginia Health Information

Washington Health Alliance

Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality

Wisconsin Health Information Organization

Wisconsin Hospital Association

Wisconsin Medical Society

More information on the Quality Data, Quality Healthcare Act can be found here.

Source