Citizens' Health Care Working Group
Encyclopedia
The Citizens' Health Care Working Group (CHCWG) was charged with listening to the opinions of the general public about how the government can make health care
work better for all Americans
. For over 15 months, the working group travelled the country, holding public meetings, and then devised a roadmap for change based on this commentary. Their recommendations were submit to Congress and the President in Fall 2006. By creating the working group through Section 1014 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act
of 2003, Congress
bound itself to take action on the final results, meaning the President must comment and Congress must hold hearings on these recommendations.
The Working Group invited individuals across the country to provide feedback on the following four questions:
People participated by attending community meeting, answering an online Health Care Poll, holding their own community meetings and sending in the results and participating in online blogs and discussion boards.
. Seated around tables of ten, individuals participated in small table discussions and voted on electronic keypads. They also participated in discussions involving the entire group, ranging in size from 100-300 people.
The Working Group also encouraged groups to hold their own Community Meeting by downloading the Community Meeting kit located on their website.
by September, 2006.
This group is distinguished from other health care efforts because the law that created it requires the President to respond to the recommendations, and requires the following five Congressional committees to hold hearings on them:
. By law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) serves as the 15th member. Comptroller General Walker chose the 14 members of the Working Group from among more than 530 applicants; the selections were announced Feb. 28, 2005.
None of the appointees are current elected officials or registered lobbyists. In addition, only one of the 14 appointees, former Governor of Utah and now HHS Secretary
Mike Leavitt, is from the Washington, D.C. area. The members represent many regions of the country and a broad range of health care perspectives, including consumers, providers, employers and workers. The appointments include people with personal experience or expertise in paying for benefits and issues of access to care.
From among the 14, Walker selected Randall L. Johnson, a corporate benefits specialist, to serve as chairman of the Working Group, and Catherine G. McLaughlin, a health economist, as vice chair.
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
work better for all Americans
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. For over 15 months, the working group travelled the country, holding public meetings, and then devised a roadmap for change based on this commentary. Their recommendations were submit to Congress and the President in Fall 2006. By creating the working group through Section 1014 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act
Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act
The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act is a federal law of the United States, enacted in 2003. It produced the largest overhaul of Medicare in the public health program's 38-year history.The MMA was signed by President George W...
of 2003, Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
bound itself to take action on the final results, meaning the President must comment and Congress must hold hearings on these recommendations.
The Working Group invited individuals across the country to provide feedback on the following four questions:
- What health care services do you want?
- How do you want those services provided?
- How do you want those services financed?
- What trade-offs are you willing to make?
People participated by attending community meeting, answering an online Health Care Poll, holding their own community meetings and sending in the results and participating in online blogs and discussion boards.
Community Meetings
The Citizens Health Care Working Group had over 35 Community Meetings from January-June 2006. These highly interactive meetings typically ran 4 hours, and were hosted by either the Public Forum Institute or AmericaSpeaksAmericaSpeaks
AmericaSpeaks is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization whose mission is to "engage citizens in the public decisions that impact their lives." AmericaSpeaks' work is focused on trying to create opportunities for citizens to impact decisions and to encourage public officials to make...
. Seated around tables of ten, individuals participated in small table discussions and voted on electronic keypads. They also participated in discussions involving the entire group, ranging in size from 100-300 people.
The Working Group also encouraged groups to hold their own Community Meeting by downloading the Community Meeting kit located on their website.
The Health Care Poll
The Citizens' Health Care Working Group also invites people to participate in this process by answering a short health care poll. This allows individuals to share their input with the Working Group for consideration for the final recommendations. The Health Care Poll results can be found on the web at www.citizenshealthcare.gov.Required governmental action
A report from this group is due to both the Congress and the PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
by September, 2006.
This group is distinguished from other health care efforts because the law that created it requires the President to respond to the recommendations, and requires the following five Congressional committees to hold hearings on them:
- Finance
- Energy and Commerce
- HELP
- Ways and Means
- Education and the Workforce
Selection of the Working Members
As set forth in Public Law 108-173, Sec. 1014, the Working Group is made up of 14 members selected by Comptroller General of the United States, David WalkerDavid M. Walker (U.S. Comptroller General)
David M. Walker served as United States Comptroller General from 1998 to 2008, and is now the Founder and CEO of the Comeback America Initiative.- Career as Comptroller General :...
. By law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) serves as the 15th member. Comptroller General Walker chose the 14 members of the Working Group from among more than 530 applicants; the selections were announced Feb. 28, 2005.
None of the appointees are current elected officials or registered lobbyists. In addition, only one of the 14 appointees, former Governor of Utah and now HHS Secretary
United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, concerned with health matters. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet...
Mike Leavitt, is from the Washington, D.C. area. The members represent many regions of the country and a broad range of health care perspectives, including consumers, providers, employers and workers. The appointments include people with personal experience or expertise in paying for benefits and issues of access to care.
From among the 14, Walker selected Randall L. Johnson, a corporate benefits specialist, to serve as chairman of the Working Group, and Catherine G. McLaughlin, a health economist, as vice chair.
External links
- Official site
- Public Law which established and governs the CHCWG
- GAO Names Members to Citizens’ Health Care Working Group from gao.gov (PDF)
- CHCWG accepting Nurses' Opinion on Health System Reform
- Citizens Health Care Working Group informational page by uhcan.org
- Making Health Care Work for All campaign by uhcan.org
- Insuring America's Health report by the Institute of MedicineInstitute of MedicineThe Institute of Medicine is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970, under the congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences...
of the National Academies outlining their recommendations for health care reform - Kansas Public radio news item about CHCWG public meeting supplied by kpr.ku.edu
- National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare — a currently inactive predecessor to the CHCWG, created by Congress in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.