Health Groups

Outline Plan To Cut Costs

Six major health care organizations submitted a 28-page proposal to President Barack Obama detailing how they could save $2 trillion over 10 years, the Associated Press reports.

Some of the savings were the same ideas already under consideration in Congress, including reducing the number of hospital readmissions, increasing the use of health information technology and preventing chronic diseases. They also propose streamlining administrative processes, reducing medical errors and promoting comparative effectiveness research.

The groups represent key sectors in the health care reform debate, including physicians, hospitals, workers, insurers and pharmaceuticals. It’s unclear how much of what the six groups proposed would be enforceable, which health care experts say is the only way to guarantee the savings are sustainable.