Employers need to step up: Insist on high-quality health care, says report

Employers, who help provide insurance to nearly half of all Americans, are key gatekeepers in the health care system. They now have access to easily understood data to empower them to promote improvements in the quality of care.

“These data allow people to identify high-quality providers, clinicians to receive meaningful and actionable feedback, and employers and health plans to curate higher-quality networks and referrals,” according to a report in NEJM Catalyst. “Employer-sponsored health care should be an investment into the overall well-being of employees and their families; as purchasers, employers are in a unique position to set a new quality standard for the U.S. health care system.”

Employer-sponsored insurance is the most common source of coverage for Americans, insuring approximately 180 million people and accounting for more than $1 trillion in health care spending annually. Given their substantial investments in health coverage, it is reasonable for employers to assume that individuals covered through sponsored health plans are receiving consistent, high-quality care