Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, addressed the Federation of American Hospitals on March 5, and America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) on March 8, regarding the transition to a value-based health system, one of the four priorities outlined during his nomination process.

Value-based care is an approach in which doctors and hospitals are reimbursed by private health insurers and the government for the quality and efficacy of care, rather than the number of procedures they provide. The Secretary emphasized four critical points towards achieving this goal: “giving consumers greater control over health information through interoperable and accessible health information technology; encouraging transparency from providers and payers; using experimental models in Medicare and Medicaid to drive value and quality throughout the entire system; and removing government burdens that impede this value-based transformation.”

Click for full transcripts of his remarks for the Federation of American Hospitals or America's Health Insurance Plan.