Group offers fixes for healthcare system

The United States could cut billions of dollars from its healthcare bill and improve the quality of medical care by cutting the unnecessary use of these and other procedures, a high-powered national coalition said. The group of 28 national organizations, which ranges from the AFL-CIO to Consumer Reports and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, said the country doesn’t need to wait for Congress or the Obama administration to enact reform. Health insurers, they said, can cut unnecessary care by changing what they will reimburse. Hospitals can reduce serious errors, and medical groups can start educating patients on what’s appropriate care, the group said.