ENSURING HEALTH-CARE QUALITY - A PURCHASERS PERSPECTIVE - AN EMPLOYER

This paper explores the idea of accountability in the managed care are na and the need for employers to demand accountability if they are to establish themselves as customers. Four key principles for establishin g greater accountability are outlined: addressing health care issues a t the local level; focusing on quality of health care as well as cost; collecting data on quality; and creating an accountable health carl s ystem through value-based purchasing. A review of methods for establis hing accountability when negotiating contracts with managed care organ izations (MCOs) focuses on the significance of collecting and understa nding claims data, defining performance standards, and establishing an d using MCO incentives.