• American health care remains far below obtainable levels of basic safety, quality, and overall customer value.
• The health industry would improve more rapidly if purchasers better recognized and rewarded superior safety and overall value.
• Voluntary adherence to purchasing principles by a critical mass of America’s largest employers would provide a large jump-start and encourage other purchasers to join.
• These principles should not only champion superior overall value but should initially focus on a handful of specific innovations offering “great leaps” to maximize media and consumer support and adoption by other purchasers.

Leapfrog members agree to adhere to the following purchasing principles in buying health care for their enrollees:

1.     Educating and informing enrollees about the safety, quality and affordability of health care and the importance of comparing the care health care providers give. Initial emphasis on the Leapfrog safety and quality practices.

2.     Recognizing and rewarding health care providers for major advances in the safety, quality and affordability of their care.

3.     Holding health plans accountable for implementing the Leapfrog purchasing principles.

4.     Building the support of benefits consultants and brokers to use and advocate for the Leapfrog purchasing principles with all of their clients.

Because the health industry needs time to meet these standards, Leapfrog purchasers are working with the provider community to arrive at aggressive but feasible target dates for application of the purchasing principles and implementation of Leapfrog’s recommended quality practices.

More on Leapfrog:

·  The Leapfrog Group

·  Leapfrog Hospital Quality and Safety Survey Results