Health plans have begun to enact policies in line with CMS' ruling to limit payments for preventable errors in hospitals in a move to improve safety and quality of care. In Washington, Congress passed, with industry support, mental health parity legislation that will offer greater access to mental and behavioral health coverage.

Employers this year have continued the trend of health and wellness programs to improve workers' health and productivity and reduce costs. Meanwhile, retailers, grocery stores and drugstore chains announced major price cuts on generic drugs.

The presidential election also focused attention on health care in the U.S. and the potential for real health care reform in the next administration. To leverage this momentum, AHIP in July launched the Campaign for an American Solution, a national grass-roots and educational initiative to build support for health care reform based on core principles such as coverage, affordability, quality, value and choice.