Sebelius: Reform law boosts quality of care

While most discussion of the new healthcare reform law has focused on insurance coverage, the law provides a “serious platform” to improving the quality of care, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said at a healthcare quality forum Tuesday afternoon. Sebelius said the United States spends “a whopping” $700 billion a year — or 30% of all healthcare spending — on services that may not improve people’s health. Further, nearly 2 million people’s conditions are worsened by hospital-acquired infections each year, resulting in 99,000 deaths and up to $33 billion in healthcare costs, she said.