Representing Members to Decision Makers
Part of our mission is to advocate for continuous improvement of health care quality, access and value. To help accomplish this, we're actively engaged in government lobbying efforts.
In addition, Employers Health maintains a Government Relations Committee to offer guidance and oversight of our advocacy process. Generally, we seek:
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Policies that improve the transparency of cost and quality data available so employees and plan sponsors can be better consumers of health care services.
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Policies that help employers of all sizes offer health benefits. We rarely support legislation that mandates specific benefits due to the additional expenses those mandates create.
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Policies that maintain the private marketplace for health care services. We do not support policies aimed at creating a government-run, single payer system.
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Policies that give uninsured individuals greater access to health care services.
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Policies that recognize improvements in the health care system through collaboration among multiple stakeholders; no individual stakeholder should alone bear the financial burden of reforms.
Our staff and member organizations are regularly called upon to support lobbying efforts through testimony before Ohio House and Senate committees, individual meetings with legislators, and participation in working groups to support specific legislation. Overall, Employers Health is recognized in the state as a trusted advocate for employers' interests in the health care marketplace. In partnership with the Health Policy Institute and Schottenstein Zox & Dunn, we hosted the 2009 Symposium on Health Care Policy Reform in Columbus, Ohio.
Employers Health works with the Ohio Business Roundtable (BRT) to explore how group purchasing programs can benefit Ohio businesses. Employers Health is listed in the BRT's best practices report.
