BCBSA’s CEO Calls on Congress

Washington — Addressing the eHealth Initiative Annual Conference today, Scott Serota, president and CEO of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), called on Congress and the new administration to support comparative effectiveness research and health information technology to improve healthcare quality, safety and affordability.

"We have a unique opportunity to work together to advance healthcare reform. It will take all stakeholders—consumers, employers, healthcare professionals, policy makers, insurers and others—working together to forge a bold vision and a clear roadmap to achieve the kind of healthcare system we want for future generations,” he says.

"There is a growing consensus that our future healthcare system must be built on a foundation of evidence-based care,” Serota says. “Nearly a year ago, BCBSA rolled out the 'Pathway to Covering America,' a comprehensive plan that builds on the employer-based system to improve quality, rein-in costs and expand coverage to everyone. One of the key tenets of our Pathway is an independent comparative effectiveness institute to encourage research on what works and put it into practice."

Source: Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association