Alliance Blog

In a victory for health care transparency, the Washington State Legislature, with strong bipartisan support, passed a bill to establish a functional, state-mandated All-Payer Claims Database (APCD), which is a good step forward in giving health care purchasers and consumers more information about pricing among health care providers in our state. I want to thank ...

This month, we’re excited to welcome a brand new member, Compass Professional Health Services, and a returning member, Vera Whole Health, to the Alliance. Both bring expertise in innovative health care delivery models. And both will help us continue to deliver on our mission building a strong alliance among patients, doctors, hospitals, purchasers, health plans ...

For many people, the first time they heard about “value-based” payment is with the passage of the “doc fix” bill, which averts a 21-percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors while at the same time moving future reimbursement to pay-for-performance and away from traditional fee-for-service medicine. But for the last four years, a team of ...

As the end of April nears, so does the final date of the Washington Health Alliance’s participation in the Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q) program. AF4Q has been the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) signature effort to lift the overall quality of health care in targeted communities and provide models for national reform. The Alliance ...

Governor could finally give consumers an effective All-Payer Claims Database OLYMPIA, Wash., April 20, 2015—In a big victory for the Coalition for Health Care Cost Transparency, the Legislature, with huge bipartisan support, late last week passed a bill to establish a fully functional All-Payer Claims Database (APCD), which would give health-care consumers something they have long ...

The Alliance knows that health care is local and we are always excited to visit leaders in the communities where they work and live to see health care in action. This is why the Alliance hosts community meetings throughout the year to talk about public reporting and our flagship report, the Community Checkup. Not only is ...

In 2013, the Alliance received a grant from ABIM Foundation to advance the goals of the Choosing Wisely® campaign in Washington state. Thanks to strong partnerships with fellow grantee Washington State Medical Association (WSMA) and the Washington State Hospital Association, our state has been a leader in this national program. We’ve accomplished much in these ...

Last week we posted about the accomplishments of our Choosing Wisely campaign, a national initiative helping physicians and patients have conversations about the overuse of tests and procedures and supporting physicians’ efforts to help patients make smart and effective care choices. In this second installment of our three-part blog series, we are highlighting the impact of this campaign ...

Choosing Wisely® is a national initiative helping physicians and patients have conversations about the overuse of tests and procedures and supporting physician efforts to help patients make smart and effective care choices. In 2013, the Alliance received a grant from ABIM Foundation to advance the goals of the Choosing Wisely campaign in Washington state. That ...

Too often emergency rooms become the place where patients go with problems that are not emergencies. When simple medical concerns that can be treated easily and more cost effectively in a primary care office or an urgent care clinic end up being treated in the emergency room (ER), they contribute to waste in the health ...

The Alliance has set as a priority strategic goal reducing overuse of health care services in our state. With unnecessary medical procedures accounting for almost 30 percent of health care spending, addressing this issue could help us make huge strides toward a higher value health care system. To advance that goal, we recently unveiled results ...

This month, we’re excited to welcome two new members who will bring additional expertise and experience in pharmaceuticals to the Alliance: Astellas Pharma US and Pharmacy Quality Alliance. Both will help us continue to deliver on our mission building a strong alliance among patients, doctors, hospitals, purchasers, health plans and others to promote health and ...