Key Initiatives

Key Initiatives

Even with the climate of uncertainty about the future of health care in America, on one thing we can all agree: Everyone deserves to live the healthiest life possible. That’s why the nonpartisan Action Group unites the public and private sectors, fostering partnerships that lead to proactive, collaborative strategies focused on a common end point: Better, more affordable health care solutions for all.
Already a member and want to learn more about how you can become more involved in something of particular interest to you? Please contact Deb Krause ([email protected]). For more information about becoming a member, please click here.
BIG GOAL
KEY INITIATIVES TO GET US THERE
Drive purchaser value
  • Use the findings of the multi-stakeholder Specialty Drug Guiding Coalition to drive market reform
  • Organize and convene Mental Health Guiding Coalition to identify actionable purchasing reforms
  • Collaborate with the Minnesota Department of Health to define employer value from the MN All Payer Claims Database
Enhance care delivery
  • Use findings from MN Bridges to Excellence to inform future care improvement initiatives
  • Promote value-based purchasing (e.g., bundled payments, pay-for-performance, ACOs)
  • Support growth in Advance Care Planning
Empower consumers/employees
Build professional capability
Enable high-performing coalition

 


DRIVE PURCHASER VALUE

Specialty Drug Guiding Coalition to Drive Market Reform

The Action Group’s Specialty Drug Guiding Coalition, which wrapped up in 2018, provides multi-stakeholder input, insight and guidance to employers to ensure their success in achieving specific goals that address challenges related to the rapidly rising cost of specialty drugs. The diversity of this group ensures all perspectives are represented and specific goals are met as efficiently as possible. The Specialty Drug Employer Playbook offers specific actions for ensuring health plans, provider organizations, PBMs, specialty pharmacies, and manufacturers are measuring progress and achieving goals.

The National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions has launched a vision to align the private sector in support of a high-value specialty drug marketplace. Minnesota employers and The Action Group played a key role in developing the framework. To view the vision, click here.

The Specialty Pharmacy Employer Purchaser’s Guide Phase I can be found here;  Phase II can be found here. Other Employer Purchaser’s Guides include:


Mental Health Guiding Coalition Identifies Specific, Actionable Purchasing Reforms

Every one of us has been touched by mental illness. Did you know one in five American adults has a mental illness, and depression is now the leading cause of disability worldwide? What’s more, serious mental illness costs America $193.2 billion in lost earnings every year.

With mental health and substance use disorders now accounting for nearly a quarter of worldwide disability, Action Group Mental Health Guiding Coalition members  are identifying opportunities to improve access to quality care, and helping reduce the stigma that often accompanies these issues.

“Addressing mental health in the workplace has long been a core commitment at The Action Group. Having completed our Mental Health Learning Network in 2018, we are now bringing members and other stakeholders together through the Mental Health Guiding Coalition to learn how best to achieve true mental health parity in Minnesota and beyond.”

Carolyn Pare
Action Group President and CEO


Collaborate with MDH to Define Member Value from MN All Payer Claims Database

The Action Group has partnered with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to define a value proposition for employer use of the All Payer Claims Database (APCD). The APCD holds great promise for improving health care coverage, reducing costs, and ensuring the delivery of high quality health care in Minnesota.

Action Group members from leading employers participated in key informant interviews and focus groups, guiding the development of proposed reports.


ENHANCE CARE DELIVERY

Evolve Minnesota Bridges to Excellence (MNBTE)

Now retired, MNBTE has been inspiring change since 2006 by rewarding clinics that achieve optimal results for patients with diabetes, vascular care, and depression. The program leaves a legacy of improved care and better outcomes for Minnesotans living with these chronic health conditions. MNBTE has awarded more than $6.5 million to high-performing clinics and care systems over the life of the program. Changes have led to patients gaining access to quality information they can use to find the best care for their condition, and purchasers uniting to offer a common set of standards and a transparent reward mechanism.


Support Growth in Advance Care Planning (ACP)

The Action Group supports Stratis Health and Honoring Choices Minnesota as they strive to increase awareness and understanding about ACP and end-of-life care, so everyone can confidently participate in calm, informed, compassionate conversations before the need arises. We have prepared a free Advance Care Planning Employee Communications Toolkit, along with a Statewide Call to Action.


EMPOWER CONSUMERS/EMPLOYEES

Promote National Diabetes Prevention Program

With 86 million U.S. adults at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes — 90% of whom don’t know it — the tsunami of poor health and high costs will be staggering. The Action Group supports efforts to make the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) a covered benefit. How is your organization helping stop diabetes in its tracks? We can connect you with the people and programs to help people with prediabetes delay or avoid the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Want to learn more about how you can provide the NDPP as a covered benefit? We can help! Please contact The Action Group to learn about the many affordable, practical options.


BUILD PROFESSIONAL CAPABILITY

Expand Annual Employer Benefits Survey

The Action Group’s exclusive Annual Employer Benefits Survey digs into what is and isn’t working for Minnesota employers. The Survey captures a vital snapshot of trends in the Minnesota employee benefits marketplace, and provides a tool for Action Group members and other Survey participants to benchmark their plans.

The Annual Employer Benefits Survey is open to members and non-members.


Summit, Member Meetings, Community/Stakeholder Forums

Member meeting topics are identified by members, for members. From addressing specific health issues in the workplace, to improving employee engagement, to tapping into high-value health care data, member meetings provide outstanding opportunities for networking, learning and action. Many members tell us they never miss a meeting if they can help it!

The Annual Employer Leadership Summit enables us to explore some of the key issues affecting health care cost and quality, and consider together how we might move forward in creating a health care system that works for every American.


ENABLE HIGH-PERFORMING COALITION

Deliver an Engaging Member Experience, and Grow Membership Base

As a member-led organization, we work closely with our members to address topics and host events they define as valuable, often focusing on making improvements in areas involving high cost and high levels of care variability. Action Group members know from experience that we accomplish more together than any of us can alone. There is strength in our collective voice and progress through our united action.

We are also actively growing our membership base to amplify the purchaser voice even further. If you’re involved in purchasing health care, developing employee benefit strategies, delivering health care goods or services, or supporting those who do, membership in the Minnesota Health Action Group is for YOU! Learn more about membership here.


National Initiatives

The Action Group has been a proud member of The National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions since its inception. The National Alliance is a national, nonprofit, membership organization of purchaser-led health care coalitions. Together, we are dedicated to value-based purchasing of health care services through the collective action of public and private purchasers, seeking to accelerate the nation’s progress toward safe, efficient, high-quality health care, and the improved health status of the American population.