BCBSA Statement On IOM Report On Clinical Effectiveness
Statement from Scott P. Serota, president and CEO, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association
February 4, 2008
WASHINGTON – In response to the Institute of Medicine's recent report: "What Works in Health Care: A Roadmap for the Nation," Scott P. Serota, president and chief executive officer of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), issued the following statement:
"BCBSA commends the Institute of Medicine (IoM) for its recent report and wholeheartedly agrees with IoM's conclusion that the nation should significantly expand its capacity to use scientific evidence to assess what works best in our healthcare delivery system. Studies show that ineffective, redundant or inappropriate care may account for as much as 30 percent of healthcare spending.
"The Blues are committed to the issue of clinical effectiveness as has been demonstrated through the work of BCBSA's Technology Evaluation Center (TEC) for more than 20 years. TEC helps our nation's physicians, and ultimately their patients, evaluate appropriate care by assessing the effectiveness of medical technologies through comprehensive scientific reviews.
"Gaining more knowledge and applying it to the practice of medicine is one of the reasons BCBSA has called for the creation of a Comparative Effectiveness Institute. This recommendation is part of our new report: "The Pathway to Covering America: Ensuring Quality, Value and Access." BCBSA shares the Institute of Medicine's view that such an entity should have three fundamental attributes: independence, objectivity, and accountability.
"BCBSA looks forward to working with the Institute of Medicine, the administration and Congress, and other stakeholders to pursue this idea and improve Americans' access to quality, affordable coverage."
More information about BCBSA's TEC program and the "Pathway to Covering America" can be found online at www.bcbs.com.
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 39 independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide healthcare coverage for nearly 100 million members - one-in-three Americans. For more information on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and its member companies, please visit www.BCBS.com.
