Margaret O'Kane Quotations

Millions of people will now have another vehicle to use to select a health plan just at the time when they need it. We look forward to working with U.S. News to identify the industry standouts and to shine a spotlight on health care quality.

It's counterintuitive to think that 'better' and 'less expensive' go together, but sometimes that's true in health care and the implications are significant. To health plans it means that you can save money by improving quality. To employers it means that you've got to look at more than premiums to decide which plan is the best value. The Quality Dividend Calculator is a tool that shows users the 'real' bottom line.

In terms of quality, 1999 was by far the best year in the history of managed care. But when we look at care for certain populations like people with diabetes or depression, it's obvious that there is still room for improvement.