Associations representing insurers, doctors, drug makers and hospitals—groups that have historically been at odds on numerous policy issues—have formed a new partnership "to improve what's working in health care and fix what's not."

The Partnership for America's Health Care Future, or PAHCF, was announced June 7. The coalition includes nine members, including the Association for Accessible Medicine, America's Health Insurance Plans, American Medical Association and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

PAHCF supports "building on the strength of employer-provided health coverage and preserving Medicare, Medicaid and other programs that so many Americans depend on," according to a joint statement issued by the groups.

"Together, we believe that there is more that can be done to strengthen our current health care system, advocate for commonsense solutions, and fix what is broken," PAHCF spokesperson Erik Smith said.

Many of PAHCF's members have regularly clashed on policy issues in the past. Groups representing insurers and drug makers have argued about which side is to blame for rising prescription drug costs, while AMA has called for more transparency in pricing. Insurance and hospital groups regularly point fingers at each other in debates over the increasing cost of health care in the U.S.

The new coalition probably won't resolve any of those fights but members did outline some of their common priorities, including providing affordable coverage to all Americans, expanding access to high-quality doctors, nurses and specialists, and giving patients more options and control over their health care decisions.

The partnership's other members are the American College of Radiology, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, The Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, Federation of American Hospitals and Healthcare Leadership Council. http://bit.ly/2l7vtBs

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