LIVING WELL:Transforming America's Health Care

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By

Julie M. Anderson

Associate Partner, Public Sector

IBM Global Business Services juliea@us.ibm.com

Tom Romeo

Vice President - Federal Health Care

IBM Global Business Services tromeo@us.ibm.com

This paper outlines the challenges facing the U.S. health care system, how prevention can help address these challenges, examples of wellness and prevention programs, suggestions for program components and design, and proposed standards for the federal government to adopt to promote quality and effective programs. The Living Well plan brings together the best preventive care knowledge from the public and private sectors and offers the first real opportunity to transform the health of Americans, improve the quality of health care, and slow the growth of health care costs. The plan calls for a shift in emphasis in the way American health care is administered away from disease management towards a strategic investment in prevention and wellness.