The concept of "value-based purchasing" is gaining traction among employers who are trying to control healthcare costs and improve the health and well-being of employees. The simplest definition of value-based purchasing is buying high quality health care that increases the chances of desired outcomes at a reasonable cost.

Preliminary research shows that purchasing based on value has the potential to:

VBP Resources for Employers

	Reducing the Costs of Poor Quality Health Care, Midwest Business Group on Health
	Describes the business case for purchasing health care based on value and quantifies the costs associated with poor quality of care.
	How Does Quality Enter into Health Care Purchasing Decisions?, The Commonwealth Fund
	Summarizes research on purchasing health care based on value and the how to overcome the challenges that come with it.
	Four States that Are Ahead of the Curve, The Commonwealth Fund
	Examines public-private efforts in four states to purchase health care based on value.
	Employers' Guide for Evaluating Value-Based Purchasing Initiatives, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
	Provides employers and coalitions with the tools they need to help them track and assess the impact of their efforts.
	Voices of Value-Based Purchasing: Health Care Leaders Reflect on 15 Years of Leadership, a 2008 publication of the National Business Coalition on Health
	The publication is available to DFWBGH members at no charge, as a benefit of DFWBGH's membership in NBCH. Please request your copy by contacting DFWBGH.
	Value-Driven Health Care, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
	Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Michael O. Leavitt, created an action-oriented structure to guide all stakeholders, including employers, in the value-driven process. The Four Cornerstones of Value-Driven Health Care include: widespread adoption of health information technology; measurement and public reporting of health care quality; transparency in the price of health care services; and use of incentives to reward quality, value and ongoing improvement.
	Quality Initiatives, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
	This government website provides detailed information and examples regarding the value-driven purchasing process, public and private VBP initiatives, the role of employers, and several downloadable publications on VBP and quality measurement.
	eValue8 Employer Report - 2008 Health Plan Diabetes Care Performance
	Second annual report on health plan performance to prevent and manage diabetes; made available through the National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH).