Industry's Voice in Health Policy

It is a pleasure to introduce this special volume of the Industry and Health Care Series. It is special for the best of reasons: it is primarily written by industry representatives. Using the Washing ton Business Group on Health 1978 Annual Meeting as its starting point, this volume captures the feelings, concerns, and experience of many who are leading industry's increasingly significant presence in health policy and economics. While many of the largest companies achieve more sophisticated levels of involvement, the fact remains that most companies of all sizes and especially the smaller businesses either will not or cannot devote the time or resources to become active participants. We hope this volume will help demonstrate the value of even one person's commit ment. Although our organizational focus is Washington, the WBGH rec ognizes that, in the long run, the quality and cost of the health care most Americans receive will be-and should be-determined at the local level. To let this happen without industry involvement would represent an abdication of both responsibility and opportunity. Fortunately, we see a growth of industry involvement, growth not just in terms of numbers but also in terms of the scope of activities. Recognizing that the key to changing provider behavior is to change the economic incentives, emanating from the major payers, em- vi Preface ployers are subjecting their employee benefit plans to the most com plete scrutiny in many years.