The National Association of Attorneys General Midwestern Region held a one-and-a-half day meeting in Omaha last week.

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, chair of the NAAG Midwestern Region, hosted the meeting, which focused on the state’s role in combating rising health care costs while also ensur­ing quality care.

A news release said topics to be addressed included an examination of health care market conditions, understanding pharmacy costs and pharmacy benefit managers, the role of state attorneys general in protecting consumers from unfair healthcare pricing and how health care purchasers can minimize costs and demand transparency. The attorneys generals speaking included Peterson as well as Tom Miller of Iowa, Herbert H. Slatery III of Tennessee and Ken Paxton of Texas.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts gave a welcome. Presenters in­cluded Dave Chase, co-founder of Health Rosetta; Elisabeth Rosenthal, author of “An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back;” Avik Shawn Roy, president of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity; and Tim Thomas, president and CEO of Crystal Clear Rx.

The meeting was held Thursday and Friday morn­ing at Gallup. The NAAG Midwestern Region is made up of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.