The Iowa Business Council recognizes most Americans have access to a high level and quality of health care services. The Council is proud to note that the State of Iowa in particular has outstanding health care services. Hospitals, doctors, and other health professionals in Iowa have achieved superior clinical outcomes at comparatively low costs of care. This favorable health care infrastructure is important for attracting and retaining businesses to our state, and provides an exceptional foundation on which to build continuing improvements.

The Iowa Business Council also recognizes health care faces enormous challenges and opportunities for improvement. For example, too few Iowans are living healthy lifestyles. In 2008, nearly 27% of Iowans were considered obese and an additional 37% were overweight. Nearly one in five Iowa adults smoked. Secondly, rising health care costs put enormous pressure on Iowa employers. They attempt to provide health care benefits for employees while competing globally against entities that often do not bear similar costs. Thirdly, the underpayment to health care providers by the federal Medicare program requires private insurance to subsidize these losses. This cost shifting ultimately is borne by employers through their health insurance premiums, which harm Iowa businesses and creates an obstacle to economic development in the state.

IBC Members are committed to working collaboratively with health care providers, insurers, customers, professional organizations, and government to find solutions to these and the many other challenges and opportunities in health care.

The Iowa Business Council recognizes many initiatives could be undertaken in numerous areas attempting to improve access to and sustainability of the health care sector. To ensure the greatest chance of success, IBC will focus on three priority initiatives:

IMPROVING HEALTH STATUS/WELLNESS

• IBC will promote increased health care education in Iowa businesses, their employees, and employees’ families
• IBC will advocate for quality programs in Iowa preK-12 schools that offer daily physical education activity and promote healthy living for all children - in particular, PE4life
• IBC will encourage every member to commit to a meaningful wellness program promoting nutrition, exercise, improved health habits, and health literacy, creating a culture of wellness in the workplace while encouraging other Iowa businesses to do likewise.
• IBC Members will share best practices in wellness initiatives, to assist companies in implementing the most effective programs with measurable results
• IBC will encourage the increased use of proven techniques to better manage chronic disease, promote healthier lifestyles, and reduce the utilization of health care services

ENCOURAGING PROCESS IMPROVEMENT/INCREASED EFFICIENCY

IBC Members with proven successes in LEAN, Six Sigma, and other process improvement methodologies will assist health care providers in implementing these techniques in organizations not using them currently. They could to this in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, sharing best practices, providing training, providing specific tools and techniques, or providing experts on site.

IMPROVING FEDERAL SUPPORT OF IOWA’S HEALTH CARE/MEDICARE FAIRNESS

• IBC will educate its members and other Iowa businesses regarding the impacts on the state and its citizens, both in health care and in economic development, of the underpayments to Iowa and overpayments to other states by Medicare
• IBC will advocate for changes to the Medicare program to correct this unfairness and expect any future federal insurance program to pay all providers fairly
• Congress is poised to initiate comprehensive, national health care reform that will challenge policymakers to reduce costs while expanding coverage and improving quality. Service providers, insurance companies, and customers will all be significantly impacted. IBC will participate in forums and collaborations to ensure that the fundamental interests of its Member companies and institutions are represented as reform measures are considered and legislation is developed.