About the WBCHC

Why a Business Coalition on Health Care?

  • Rising health care costs are an increasing source of concern and frustration for employers and for the community.
  • There is a growing recognition of the importance of a broader view of health and health care issues and the economic impact of poor health on business.
  • Health care is important to our community and we all need to work together to control costs and to make the health care system work better for everyone.

Mission and Purpose

  • Engage in substantive and actionable discussions about the region’s health care resources in a collaborative model involving all of the key stakeholders
  • Facilitate the identification and pursuit of innovative strategies and initiatives that decrease health care costs and improve health care quality and efficiency
  • Help employers understand the cost drivers of health care and develop strategies to increase the value they receive from their health care expenditures Increase information sharing and transparency among and between employers, health plans, physicians, hospitals, and other key stakeholders
  • Provide value to its members

Employers are increasingly under pressure due to the high cost of healthcare.  These costs strain businesses of all sizes and ripple through the community as benefits continue to decline and the number of uninsured continues to grow.  Here in Wichita, while we are blessed with a vibrant healthcare community, we are also experiencing these cost pressures.

Employers control a large portion of the healthcare dollar.  Increasingly employers are recognizing the need to take a more active role in the problem.  Here, as in many other communities all over the country, employers are leading the way through the development of community based coalitions who come together around the table to address regional healthcare concerns.

The goal of the Wichita Business Coalition on Health Care is to take action to reduce healthcare costs, increase quality and improve access.  The Coalition will leverage the involvement and collaboration of all the players: employers, physicians, insurance companies, hospitals and others involved in both the business and practice of medicine.

Strategic Priorities

The Business Coalition has been formed through the efforts of the founding organizations that have a vision for a collaborative vehicle to improve healthcare.  These organizations include regional employers, hospitals, physicians and other stakeholders. 

The Wichita Business Coalition on Health Care will focus on the following priorities:

  • Framework for common understanding and improvement – developing common understanding and common language among the members of the Coalition

  • Utilization – understanding and addressing regional variations and implications for cost, quality and value

  • Transparency – understanding the basis and drivers of both cost and quality

  • Disease Management/Risk Identification – understanding and addressing specific health issues among employees, including wellness, prevention, early identification, and chronic disease management.

  • Value-Based Benefit Design and Purchasing – increasing accountability better aligning incentives for each component of the health system (patient, employer & provider)

  • Infrastructure and Participation - the Coalition will also focus on expanding participation and funding to support a strong and sustainable organization which can accomplish the vision and mission.