March 31, 2011
In 2001 the Federation coordinated a successful initiative to bring together seven major Chicago area governments in an agreement to jointly purchase prescription drugs for their employees. (The City of Chicago, Cook County, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago Park District, City Colleges of Chicago, and Chicago Housing Authority.) This effort included publication of a research report, organization of the local governments’ Chief Financial Officer Roundtable group, and ongoing recommendations to explore other joint purchasing opportunities. The original intergovernmental agreement to jointly purchase prescription drugs has yielded millions of dollars in savings for the affected governments. They subsequently released joint requests for proposals for employee HMO and PPO healthcare services.