WASHINGTON, June 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Preferred Provider Organizations (AAPPO) announced today that it bestowed one of its highest honors, the Leadership Excellence Award, on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy G. Thompson. The association recognized Thompson, the country’s leading public health advocate, for his numerous contributions to improving health care and, in particular, Medicare reform, which led to the passage of The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003.
Thompson was presented the award at the conclusion of his keynote address, “Health Care Reform - What’s Next On The Agenda?,” delivered at the association’s 2004 Health Care Industry Summit. The summit is AAPPO’s premier event for payer organizations and PPO industry executives.
“Secretary Thompson is a leader whose actions back up his rhetoric,” said AAPPO President Karen Greenrose. “His many contributions are making a daily difference. The association and the PPO industry look forward to continuing to work with the Secretary and HHS to better involve PPOs in his initiatives to further improve American health care.”
AAPPO began working with Secretary Thompson and HHS on better involving PPOs in delivering health care to Medicare beneficiaries, especially those in rural areas, after Greenrose spoke with him at President Bush’s Economic Forum in 2002. The association has met with the Secretary or his staff several times since then, most recently during AAPPO’s 2004 Day on the Hill event in Washington, D.C. in late March of this year. Mark McClellan, M.D., the new Administrator at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, also participated in that meeting with Thompson.
Founded in 1983, AAPPO (http://www.aappo.org/) is the leading national association of network-based preferred provider organizations and affiliate organizations.
American Association of Preferred Provider Organizations
CONTACT: Chris McNamara for AAPPO, +1-703-660-9536, or Cell,+1-202-256-9825
Web site: http://www.aappo.org/
