Watch: ‘Robust’ Primary Care, Transparency Top Employers’ Reform Wish List

Employers cover more than one hundred sixty million Americans, making them major healthcare players—a role that came about almost by accident. KFF Health News spoke with Elizabeth Mitchell, president of the Purchaser Business Group representing large employers. She explained that companies originally offered healthcare coverage as an alternative to wages. It's now their second-largest budget item after payroll. But healthcare providers have consolidated heavily in response, limiting even the largest employers' negotiating power. Mitchell outlined what employers want: stronger primary care, better referrals to high-quality specialists, bans on anti-competitive practices, and increased price transparency. 'We have a very real affordability crisis,' she noted.

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