America's Health Insurance Plans proposed a comprehensive health care program on May 29 which it estimated could reduce the nation's health care costs by $145 billion annually by 2015 if implemented.
However, at least 2 key parts of the program, replacing the current medical liability system with a dispute resolution process and establishing a comparative effectiveness standard for treatments and drugs face strong political opposition, according to a health care analyst.
In announcing the plan, AHIP said its "strategy" team "innovative health plan cost containment tools with sensible public policy initiatives" that would make health care more affordable.
The AHIP plan involves better disease management, care coordination and prevention programs. It also calls for handling claims electronically, transitioning to a value-based payment system, and addressing how new technology can be most effectively introduced into the system.
"The AHIP proposal presents programs that are working now in these areas and maps out how the public and private sectors can work together to achieve these goals," the trade group said.
A key part of the program would be implementation of comparable effectiveness studies that would evaluate different treatments and drugs and decide which works best.