Colorado PERA is involved in a number of organizations that play a role in developing health care policy at the state and federal level. In doing so, PERA is contributing to the triple aim of health care: better health, better care at lower prices.

PERA was a founding member of the Colorado Business Group on Health (CBGH), a nonprofit coalition led by employers that purchase health care. CBGH works toward finding market-based solutions to lowering health care costs for employers and employees. CBGH also aims to improve the quality of health care for participants in health plans like PERACare.

PERA continues to help support CBGH’s mission to improve the cost, quality, and patient experience of health care in Colorado. As a member of CBGH, PERA is not only sharing knowledge about health care plans with other entities in Colorado, but also learning from them. PERA also has a larger voice by speaking to health insurance plans and health care providers as part of a coalition of employers rather than alone.

Some of the activities that CBGH supports include:

• Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. CBGH is the regional leader for the Leapfrog hospital safety grade – the only hospital rating focused exclusively on hospital safety. Its A, B, C, D or F letter grades are a quick way for consumers to choose the safest hospital to seek care.  
• Monthly Strategy Sessions.  Each month, CBGH members convene to hear from regional and national leaders and engage in discussions on strategic issues for improving health care value.  
• Market Overviews for Leadership.  Each year, CBGH provides members with an overview of the health care market within which employers purchase health care.  

PERA also participates in the Public Sector Healthcare Roundtable, a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of public-sector health care purchasers from across the United States, including states, counties and municipalities. The Roundtable works to bring a voice to the tens of millions of public-sector employees and retirees they serve in conversations about the design, development and implementation of national health care policy. The Roundtable is committed to maintaining programs that enable public workers, retirees and their families to obtain high-quality health benefits at an affordable and sustainable cost.

Efforts of the Roundtable include issuing letters to elected officials and other policymakers informing them of the impact of proposed legislation or policy; tracking health care policy and keeping members informed about policy changes and their implications; and facilitating discussions with health policy leaders as the need arises.

Additionally, PERA participates in the State and Local Government Benefits Association (SALGBA), a national organization that provides its members – public sector organizations that offer benefits such as health care – with educational and collaborative support by hosting national and regional conferences. State and local governments and other public sector organizations can share information, ask questions, and learn about best practices from experts and each other.

By actively participating in these state and national organizations, PERA is directly involved in learning about and shaping the future of health care policy that affects PERA’s members and retirees.