January 2005

Business/gov't address health care costs and prevention

Teleconference on January 11th

Helen Darling, President, National Business Group on Health (Business Group), and Carolyn Clancy, M.D., Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), will address the importance of preventive services to help companies control rising health care costs in a teleconference hosted by the Business Group and AHRQ. The Business Group is releasing the Employer's Guide to Health Improvement and Preventive Services, based on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force clinical screening and counseling recommendations, to help companies foster healthier workplaces and reduce health care costs. The Task Force is sponsored by AHRQ.

The Guide includes translations of evidence-based recommendations, including blood pressure, obesity and cholesterol screenings, that are considered to be an authoritative source for deciding which clinical preventive services to provide as part of a health benefit plan.

Who: Helen Darling, President, National Business Group on Health, & Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D., Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

What: Teleconference to release the Employer's Guide and discuss innovative strategies that companies are using in 2005 to retain healthier workplaces and control health care costs

When: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 12:00 PM ET

How: To guarantee a spot on this call: Please RSVP to Courtney Rees at [email protected] or 202.745.5117 Dial in to 1-800-310-1961; Conference password is "Preventive Services"

We encourage you to call by 11:45am ET to secure a space on the call.

The National Business Group on Health is the national voice of large employers dedicated to finding innovative and forward-thinking solutions to the nation's most important health care issues. Recognized as the leading voice of large employers, the Business Group represents over 225 member companies. Business Group members are primarily Fortune 500 companies and large public sector employers � including the nation's most innovative health care purchasers � who collectively provide health coverage for more than 50 million U.S. workers, retirees, and their families. The Business Group fosters the development of a quality health care delivery system and works with other organizations to promote safety and ensure access to superior new technology.

The Employer's Guide was funded through a grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation