NPC’s Dubois Named to Health Affairs Council on Health Care Spending and Value

Leading health policy journal Health Affairs today announced the members of its Council on Health Care Spending and Value, a group of diverse health care thought leaders focused on examining the different drivers of health care spending. The National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC) is proud that NPC Chief Science Officer and Executive Vice President Robert Dubois, MD, PhD, has been named to the Council and will be part of the effort to advance the all-important health spending dialogue.

The Council, which is supported by NPC and Anthem, Inc., will be chaired by Senator William Frist, MD, former US Senate Majority Leader, and Margaret Hamburg, MD, Foreign Secretary, National Academy of Medicine, and former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner. In addition to Dr. Dubois, the Council includes recognized leaders from across all health care sectors. The full list can be viewed on the Health Affairs website.

“It’s incredibly important for us to tackle the tough questions in health care so that we can spend more wisely, efficiently and effectively,” said Dr. Dubois. “I’m excited about working with this esteemed group of health care leaders and finding solutions to our spending challenges.”

Over the next three years, the Council will issue a series of publications and convene thought leaders with the goal of providing actionable recommendations for how legal, regulatory and policy changes can be used to tackle our nation’s health spending crisis.

The Council is part of a broad range of research and related activities that NPC is supporting or undertaking to address the growth in health care spending. Among these efforts, Going Below the Surface is a research-first initiative aimed at examining the drivers of health care spending in a way that is focused on finding solutions rather than assigning blame; it includes a related forum of partner stakeholders. NPC also has partnered with AcademyHealth on a series of health care salons and webinars to encourage further dialogue on spending issues. And, in conjunction with Anthem, Inc., NPC is supporting articles and blogs that are part of Health Affairs’ “Considering Health Spending” series. All of these efforts are intended to engage stakeholders across the health care ecosystem in conversation about what’s driving health care spending in the United States and how we can spend more effectively, and develop research-based solutions.

To learn more about the members of the Health Affairs Council on Health Care Spending and Value, read the related article from Health Affairs. And for ongoing updates on Going Below the Surface, please visit www.goingbelowthesurface.org, subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter and join the conversation using the #GoingBelowTheSurface hashtag on Twitter.