Health-focused business groups expand their scope

Business groups on health are helping employers understand and use data while they transition from volume purchasing to value purchasing.

Jessica Brooks, CEO and executive director of the Pittsburgh Business Group on Health, shares her expertise on health-focused business groups, potentially a new topic for many listeners. In the past, business groups formed primarily to leverage purchasing power. Today, these coalitions are expanding their focus by using education and advocacy, in addition to the power of the purse, to push for changes in the health care industry at the macro level while bringing new insights and tools to their member employers at the local level.

Jessica explains the history behind health-focused business groups and why they formed initially. She shares how these groups are bringing together key stakeholders to address challenges with health care cost, quality and access in the marketplace. Business health care groups bring relevant parties to the table in search of workable solutions in this era of complexity surrounding the Affordable Care Act and public and private exchanges.