Two groups representing health carriers hailed an executive order by President George W. Bush directing federal agencies to tell beneficiaries more about the cost and quality of their health benefits.
The order also directs the agencies to develop interoperable computer systems to better manage beneficiary health care records.
America's Health Insurance Plans and the National Association of Health Underwriters issued statements saying the order will help make the health system more cost-effective nationwide.
The order, signed Tuesday, affects the Dept. of Health and Human Services, which oversees Medicare-Medicaid; the Defense Department; the Office of Personnel Management, which oversees federal employee benefits; and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The order obliges the agencies to collect data about the cost and quality of care received by their beneficiaries and to disclose that information to the beneficiaries.
