A coalition of employers led by AIM and the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation will formally initiate a campaign on December 11 to moderate the cost of health care by reducing avoidable use of hospital emergency departments (EDs).

The Massachusetts Employer Health Coalition will work with employers, employees, doctors, hospitals, and health insurers to reduce inappropriate use of emergency departments by 20 percent in two years. State officials estimate that a significant number of ED visits are potentially avoidable, a pattern that costs $300-$350 million annually for commercially insured members.

The good news is that employer coalitions in other areas of the country have already succeeded in curbing unnecessary use of emergency departments. The Massachusetts groups plan to kick off their initiative on the 11^th with a breakfast at which they will hear comments from Louise Probst, Executive Director of a regional health improvement collaborative serving the state of Missouri, and the St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition, an employer coalition supporting more than 60 leading, self-insured employers.

In addition to Ms. Probst, a panel including AIM members will discuss cost savings initiatives they have implemented, as well as the challenges to reducing health-care costs for both large and small employers.

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“The rising cost of providing health insurance to employees remains the most pressing issue facing the 4,000 employers who are members of Associated Industries of Massachusetts,” said Richard C. Lord, President and Chief Executive Officer of AIM.

“The Massachusetts Employer Health Coalition is a great example of employers stepping up and taking action to ensure that their workers can access the right care in the right place, maximizing both health care quality and affordability.”

The objective, according to Lord, is to reduce health-care costs and provide rate relief for small businesses and patients, while optimizing resources to ensure quality care for those in need of emergency care.

Most ED use is necessary, appropriate, and in many cases life-saving. However, providers and payers broadly agree that shifting ED use for non-urgent health problems to more timely, appropriate settings will improve quality and patient experience, and lower the cost of care.

The cost of an ED visit can be five times that of care provided in a primary care or urgent care setting. Upper respiratory infections, skin rashes, allergies, and back pain are among the most common conditions for which Massachusetts patients seek care in the ED unnecessarily.

The Coalition is expected to use the December 11 event to unveil resources that employers will use to engage with their workers about the importance of seeking medical care in appropriate settings. These resources will include educational materials, along with procedures to help employers and employees identify local care options.

AIM plans to provide links to the resources for its employer members.

The Coalition plans to focus on four tactics for change:

1. Educating Employees: Work with employers to communicate information about avoidable ED use with employees and families so they can get the best possible care in settings such as primary care practices, retail clinics, and urgent care centers.
2. Learning from Data: Track and publicly report the rate of avoidable ED visits so employers, stakeholders, and the public may understand and tackle the scope of the issue.
3. Collaborating Across the Health Care System: Work with labor unions, health care providers, health plans, employers, and employees to reward and encourage the appropriate use of the ED by aligning financial incentives, and bolster the availability of care in the community, especially during nights and weekends.
4. Advocating for Policy Change: Advocate for policy changes that will advance new care delivery and payment models, such as Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), telemedicine, and mobile integrated health, which combined, can improve access to timely care in the right setting.