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V O L . X X I V N O. X X S E P T E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 8 22 T o get a handle on what the changes at the Healthcare Purchaser Alliance of Maine mean, it helps to look to hockey leg- end Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky was always thinking four or five plays ahead, says Peter Hayes, CEO and president of the alliance. "at's what we're doing," Hayes says. "We're now looking three or five years down the road. Where are we going? What tools do we need?" e puck dropped for the nonprofit that compiles information to guide businesses and organizations that pur- chase health care when its purchaser members asked that it find less expen- sive care without affecting quality. Over the years, "We really made strides on the quality side," Hayes says. Now the organization is looking at value for its members, whose employees make up one-quarter of the commer- cially insured workers in the state. "Are we getting the most for our dollar?" e alliance changed its name from the Maine Health Management Coalition and elevated the role of purchasers, so they could better col- laborate on their buying power, chang- ing the board to purchaser-only. e biggest result, though, is three new initiatives that begin Jan. 1 and stem from some of the biggest cost inefficiencies in health care — phar- maceutical expenses, variations in quality and the cost of outpatient hospital visits. e idea, Hayes says, is to set up a system that can weather long-term changes in the rapidly evolving health care landscape. Getting a handle on costs Hayes was director of associate health and wellness at Hannaford 25 years ago when the Maine Health Care Coalition formed out of discussions he and others in similar roles had about collaborating on finding qual- ity affordable health care for their employees. He's led the organization since last year. While employee health care is a big expense, it's something many busi- nesses don't have the resources to fully attend to, says Trevor Putnoky, director of membership and communications for the alliance. e alliance has more than 50 members, including public and private employers, benefit trusts, hospitals, health plans, doctors and consumer groups, according to its website. e members work together to measure and report health care value, and the information is used by employers to buy health care. When the changes were announced, Tom Ellis, the board chair at that time and chief human resources manager at the Jackson Laboratory, said that purchasers are key to fixing the health care system. "Before the alliance underwent this transition, there was no organiza- tion in the state that was dedicated to advocating on our behalf and working to make sure our employees and their families receive the highest quality, affordable care," he said in March. Hayes says while affordability has always been part of the conversa- tion, the rapid rise in expenses was a game-changer. Putnoky adds, "A business can't be competitive in the state if it doesn't get a handle on health care costs. At the end of the day, it's about employers wanting employees to get the best possible care [while keeping costs down]." F O C U S C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 2 4 » Peter Hayes, CEO of Healthcare Purchaser Alliance of Maine, right, and Trevor Putnoky, the director of membership and communications, in Topsham P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Getting a handle on health care costs B y M a u r e e n M i l l i k e n Healthcare Purchaser Alliance taking charge of health care changes We're now looking three or five years down the road. Where are we going? What tools do we need? — Peter Hayes CEO, Maine Healthcare Purchaser Alliance

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