MBGH Press Releases

Midwest Business Group on Health Releases Free Resource to Help Employers Address Pain Management and Opioid Use/Abuse

By MBGH Information posted 05-02-2018
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CHICAGO – May 2, 2018 – Pain-related conditions affect 116 million adults in the U.S., resulting in up to $635 billion in medical costs and lost productivity.* To assist employers faced with managing this critical issue, the non-profit Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH) has launched a new pain management and opioid use/abuse toolkit . The free resource offers best practices, strategies and links to valuable resources to support employers in improving the treatment of pain and addressing the impacts of abuse and misuse of opioid medications. “The impact of opioid abuse to employers’ health care costs and productivity is significant with abusers costing ...
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Spring 2018 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades Highlight Patient Safety in Illinois; 37 hospitals awarded A’s

By MBGH Information posted 04-24-2018
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Nationally Illinois ranked 15, up from 26 from the Fall 2017 grades   CHICAGO – April 24, 2018 – The Leapfrog Group , a Washington, D.C.-based organization aiming to improve health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers, released the updated Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades . General acute-care hospitals in the U.S. are assigned letter grades of A, B, C, D or F based on their performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents and infections. These errors are killing or harming millions of people each year and serve as the third leading cause of death in the U.S. In Illinois, 107 hospitals were graded, and 37 were awarded ...
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Midwest Business Group on Health Announces Speakers for 38th Annual Conference, May 2-3 in Chicago

By MBGH Information posted 03-09-2018
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Leading employers convene to find critical solutions to be a driving force for change in today’s health care marketplace   CHICAGO – March 12, 2018 – The non-profit Midwest Business Group on Health released its lineup of speakers for the 38 th Annual Conference that will offer strategies to help employers use their market predominance to get the highest quality and most-effective care for the billions of dollars spent on benefits. One of the nation’s leading employer-focused conferences, the event will be held May 2-3 at the Mid-America Club in Chicago.   “Employer-based insurance covers almost 56% of the U.S. population, more than Medicare ...
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MBGH Releases Comprehensive Diabetes Management Resource for Employers

By MBGH Information posted 11-13-2017
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Free toolkit helps small- and mid-sized employers support their employees and family members, offering best practices for all   CHICAGO – Nov. 13, 2017 – Almost 30 million people in the U.S. have diabetes. One in 4 are undiagnosed – a great concern to employers faced with a workforce in declining health because of diabetes and obesity. To help employers address this critical issue and offer access to best practices and high-quality industry resources and materials, the non-profit Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH) launched a Diabetes Management in the Workplace Toolkit . The resource was developed for small- and mid-sized employers that ...
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Illinois Hospitals Receive New Patient Safety Grades from The Leapfrog Group

By MBGH Information posted 11-01-2017
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CHICAGO – Oct. 31, 2017 – The Leapfrog Group , a Washington, D.C.-based organization aiming to improve health care quality for consumers, employers and purchasers, announced the October 2017 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, assigning A, B, C, D and F letter grades to general acute-care hospitals in the U.S. based on errors, accidents and infections. In Illinois, 111 hospitals were graded, and 33 were awarded an A, the highest letter grade, demonstrating these hospitals’ dedication to safe care. Those hospitals continuously receiving A grades in Illinois for the last five years include: AMITA Health St. Alexius Medical Center, Hoffman Estates ...
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Midwest Business Group on Health Names Cheryl Larson New President and CEO

By MBGH Information posted 09-20-2017
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Midwest Business Group on Health Names Cheryl Larson New President and CEO   CHICAGO – Sept. 19, 2017 – The board of the non-profit Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH), one of the nation's leading business groups of private and public employers, has appointed Cheryl Larson as incoming President and CEO. Currently Vice President, the long-time MBGH executive will replace exiting President and CEO Larry Boress at the end of the year.  “When it comes to the health and well-being of their employees, employers continue to face great challenges and Cheryl’s deep understanding of key health benefit issues makes her the ideal person to lead the ...
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MBGH Calls on Employers to Rethink Pharmacy Benefit Strategies

By MBGH Information posted 09-12-2017
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MBGH Calls on Employers to Rethink Pharmacy Benefit Strategies Pharmacy benefit middlemen contribute to higher prices; new report offers insight for employers to reduce costs and improve efficiency   CHICAGO – September 12, 2017 – As health care reform drags on, employers can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines. And one area of the health care value chain ripe for transformation is pharmacy benefits. The non-profit Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH) has released a report to aid employers in working to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and value of pharmacy benefit programs to drive affordability and transparency.   The report, ...
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New Officers Elected to Midwest Business Group on Health Board; Larry Boress to Retire as President and CEO

By MBGH Information posted 05-11-2017
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  CHICAGO – May 11, 2017 – The Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH), one of the nation's leading business groups of private and public employers, elected new officers for its Board of Directors. And President and CEO Larry Boress announced his plans to retire effective December 31, 2017.   “We thank Larry for his 26 years of service to MBGH and his leadership over the last 12 years as President and CEO,” said Thomas Sondergeld, Vice President Global Benefits & Mobility, Walgreens Boots Alliance, and MBGH Board Chair. He and his staff have grown MBGH into an organization known for truly understanding the needs of our members and collaboration ...
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MBGH Survey Finds Employers Continue to Address Health Benefit Cost and Workplace Programs in Uncertain Times

By MBGH Information posted 05-10-2017
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CHICAGO – May 11, 2017 – The Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH), one of the nation’s leading non-profit business groups of large, self-insured public and private employers, released the results of its annual national survey of employers gauging their views and plans related to current and future health purchasing strategies.   “While the future of the Affordable Care Act continues to evolve, even in this uncertain environment, employers are moving forward with strategies to reduce unnecessary health care costs, while finding ways to improve the health of their covered populations,” said Larry Boress, MBGH President and CEO.   Key survey ...
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Ten Illinois Hospitals Earn Leapfrog’s 2016 Top Hospital Award for Patient Safety

By MBGH Information posted 12-09-2016
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CHICAGO – Dec. 6, 2016 – The Leapfrog Group announced today that ten Illinois have been named to its 2016 list of Top Hospitals, which honors the highest performing facilities on the Leapfrog Hospital Patient Safety Survey. The winning facilities will be officially recognized at Leapfrog’s Annual Meeting on December 6, 2016 in Washington, D.C. “Today, more than ever, public and private health care benefits purchasers are looking at the quality, cost and outcomes of hospitals and physicians as they move to value-based benefit approaches,” said Larry Boress, Illinois Leapfrog leader and president and CEO of the Midwest Business ...
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Managing Specialty Drugs and Employee Engagement are of Greatest Concern to Employers in 2017

By MBGH Information posted 12-09-2016
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CHICAGO – November 29, 2016 – In 2017, the focus of employers’ health benefit activities will shift from avoiding the Affordable Care Act excise tax to other priorities, such as managing the cost and use of specialty drugs and engaging employees to more effectively use their benefits and maintain their health. These are among the results of a new survey of health care purchasers to gauge their views, plans and strategies for the upcoming benefit year from the Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH), one of the nation’s leading non-profit business groups of large, self-insured public and private employers. “These directional ...
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Employers Ready to Implement New Payment Approaches and High Performance Networks to Reduce Health Costs and Improve Outcomes

By MBGH Information posted 12-09-2016
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CHICAGO – August 2, 2016 – The Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH), one of the nation’s leading non-profit business groups of large, self-insured public and private employers, released the results of a national survey of employers gauging their views and plans related to health purchasing strategies. While there was overall agreement in most areas, large employers are more aggressively active in certain areas such as adopting value-based purchasing and direct contracting with providers. MBGH also found general agreement in how employers view the mergers of health plans, hospitals and PBMs. Key survey findings include: ...
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New Officers Elected to Midwest Business Group on Health Board of Directors

By Midwest Business Group On Health posted 06-09-2016
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The Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH), one of the nation's leading business groups of private and public employers, selected the officers for its Board of Directors. “We’re at a tipping point for the future of health care in the United States and employers and providers must work more closely together as a collective group to adapt in this changing environment,” said Tom Sondergeld, Vice President Global Benefits & Mobility, Walgreens Boots Alliance, and MBGH Board Chair. “Through MBGH we’ll be working to focus programs and energy to better manage where the greatest health care dollars are spent to improve ...
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Getting Employees to Use Preventive Care Benefits Still a Challenge for Employers

By Midwest Business Group On Health posted 05-11-2016
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New toolkit helps employers address gaps in employee knowledge and encourages use of free preventive screenings and services CHICAGO – May 5, 2016 – A recent survey by the Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH) found that employers continue to face challenges in getting employees to understand and use the free preventive care benefits available to them as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). One of the nation’s leading non-profit business groups of large, self-insured public and private employers, MBGH found that only 10% of large employers are aware of all of the required preventive services to be covered ...
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Midwest Business Group on Health Looks at the “Real World of Health Benefits” at 36th Annual Conference – May 5-6 in Chicago

By Midwest Business Group On Health posted 04-11-2016
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Leading employers convene to find solutions to address the issues and changes in today's health care marketplace The Midwest Business Group on Health will explore the challenges employers face in todays “Real World of Health Benefits” at its 36 th Annual Conference on May 5-6, 2016 at the Mid-America Club in Chicago. One of the nation’s leading employer-focused conferences, the event offers critical insight, strategies and tools to improve stakeholder management of health benefits, while driving health care system changes and payment reform. “In a post ACA environment, employers must continue to navigate reform laws ...
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Despite Delay in Excise Tax, Employers Continue to Explore Value of Private Exchanges and Cost Management Strategies

By Midwest Business Group On Health posted 02-26-2016
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February 16th - According to a survey of employers conducted by the Private Exchange Evaluation Collaborative (PEEC), 46% have implemented or are continuing to look at private health insurance exchanges to offer health benefits for their covered populations. Over the last few months PEEC has polled employers for a broad study on their views and intentions related to exchanges. A second shorter study was conducted in January to gauge strategies in light of the two-year delay in the implementation of the excise tax. Under the Affordable Care Act, employers whose health benefits cost more than $10,200 for individuals or $27,500 for families have to ...
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Employers Rethinking Benefits to Get Bigger Bang for Buck

By MBGHConnect Community posted 11-10-2015
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November 3, 2015 MBGH survey finds employers committed to improving the health of their covered populations CHICAGO – While the vast majority of employers (76%) are focusing their health benefit strategies on avoiding the 2018 Affordable Care Act excise tax, a greater number indicated that increasing employee engagement in health improvement programs (81%) and using preventive services (77%) are priorities for 2016-2017. These are among the findings of an annual survey of 119 employers by the non-profit Midwest Business Group on Health, one of the nation’s leading business groups of private and public employers representing over 4 million lives, ...
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MBGH and Partners Help Reduce Rate of Unnecessary Early Deliveries to 2% in Illinois

By MBGHConnect Community posted 11-10-2015
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July 22, 2015 Leaders from provider, carrier, consumer, and business groups worked with hospitals and doctors to improve maternity care and reduce elective pre-term births CHICAGO – The rate of early elective deliveries, babies delivered too early for non-medical reasons, in Illinois has been reduced to 2% for 2014, according to the Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH). This is down from a rate of more than 24% in 2010, as reported by hospitals participating in the Leapfrog Group’s annual Hospital Survey. Through the support of a three-year grant, provided by the National Business Coalition on Health, United Health Foundation and the Robert ...
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MBGH Releases Annual Survey of Employers on Specialty Drug Management

By MBGHConnect Community posted 11-10-2015
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June 9, 2015 Employers considering unconventional strategies to manage double-digit cost increases while shifting more cost to employees CHICAGO – The Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH), one of the nation’s leading non-profit business coalitions, has found promising insights in their fourth annual employer survey on specialty drug management. Although the vast majority of employers (88%) still rely on traditional plan designs (co-pays and coinsurance), many are ready to focus on new and novel approaches to managing specialty drugs costs. Survey results indicate a significant number of employers (68%) are considering using a narrow network ...
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MBGH Announces New Officers and Directors

By MBGHConnect Community posted 11-10-2015
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May 26, 2015 MBGH survey finds employers committed to improving the health of their covered populations CHICAGO – May 26, 2015 – The Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH), one of the nation's leading business groups of private and public employers, selected officers for its Board of Directors. The elected officers to MBGH’s board: Chair – Kim Dwyer, Vice President, Benefit Services, Advocate Health Care Vice Chair – Thomas Sondergeld, Vice President Global Benefits & Mobility, Walgreens Boots Alliance Secretary – Sandra Morris, Senior Manager, U.S. Benefits Design, Procter and Gamble Treasurer – Rich Rons, ...
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