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National Business Group on Health


Self Description

July 2004: "The National Business Group on Health, formerly the Washington Business Group on Health, representing over 200 large employers, health care companies, benefits consultants and vendors, is the nation's only non-profit organization devoted exclusively to finding innovative and forward-thinking solutions to the nation's most important health care and related benefits issues. The Business Group also supports its members in the areas of disability, health/productivity, related paid time off and work/life balance issues.

In response to changing times both in corporate America and the health care system, the Board of Directors recently redefined the Business Group's mission and sharpened its focus to serve its corporate members by providing business solutions. With a President selected because of her long career in corporate benefits and benefits consulting, the Business Group offers business-focused member services. We also maintain a focus on policy, legislation and regulations, especially as an innovative voice of large employers when corporate America's most important health policy interests or health and disability practices are at risk."

http://www.wbgh.com/about/mission.cfm

Third-Party Descriptions

July 2011: "Most large employers have self-insured plans, said Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, a membership organization that focuses on health policies for large employers. That means they can choose to cover same-sex employees, but they do not have to. While virtually all large company plans cover legal spouses, she added, some companies offer domestic partner benefits only to gay employees who do not have the option to marry. (Some companies also extend the benefits to heterosexual unmarried couples.)"

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/09/business/some-companies-want-gays-to-wed-to-get-health-benefits.html

January 2007: “From the beginning , everyone, including the company, agreed that not everybody ought to be getting Vioxx,” said Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, an organization of large employers. “But the ads implied there was a widespread need for it.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/22/business/media/22drug.html

June 2006: 'This is a serious national problem, and it is only going to get much worse,' said Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, a research and trade group for large employers. 'There are more uninsured, the hospitals are inefficient, and every year, Medicare and Medicaid hold down on increases to cover rising medical costs,' she said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/01/business/01health.html

Relationships

RoleNameTypeLast Updated
Organization Head/Leader (past or present) Helen Darling M.A. Person Jul 6, 2004

Articles and Resources

Date Fairness.com Resource Read it at:
Jul 08, 2011 As Same-Sex Marriage Becomes Legal, Some Choices May Be Lost

QUOTE: Now that same-sex marriage has been legalized in New York, at least a few large companies are requiring their employees to tie the knot if they want their partners to qualify for health insurance....But some gay and lesbian advocates are arguing that the change may have come too soon: some couples may face complications, since their unions are not recognized by the federal government.

 New York Times
Jan 22, 2007 Showdown Looms in Congress Over Drug Advertising on TV

QUOTE: "Criticism of direct-to-consumer advertising has intensified since 2004, after Merck withdrew Vioxx, a heavily advertised painkiller, after a clinical trial showed that it sharply increased the risk of heart attacks and strokes."

 New York Times
Jun 01, 2006 Low Payments by U.S. Raise Medical Bills Billions a Year

QUOTE: Employers and consumers are paying billions of dollars more a year for medical care to compensate for imbalances in the nation's health care system resulting from tight Medicare and Medicaid budgets...

 New York Times
May 16, 2006 Spending on health care varies widely by state, hospitals

QUOTE: Medicare pays tens of thousands of dollars more in some states, regions or hospitals to provide care to chronically ill patients, with no benefit in terms of longer life or patient satisfaction...

 USA TODAY
Jun 27, 2004 Killer Billing Errors: Duplicate Charges. Faulty Totals. Your Hospital's Mistakes Can Ruin You

QUOTE: "Shame on the insurance company for paying a bill immediately, apparently without understanding what they were paying for. . . . And how can the hospital be charging these insane amounts and giving lame excuses about codes?

 Washington Post