• E-mail
• Print
• RSS

BCBS proposes paying Massachusetts docs for quality care

Quality Improvement Monitor, January 25, 2008

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts this week proposed to change the way it pays physicians and hospitals in an attempt to lower healthcare costs and boost quality, according to the Boston Globe.

The health insurer wants to pay physicians and hospitals a flat sum per patient each year, adjusted for age and sickness, plus a large bonus if the providers improve care, Blue Cross officials told the Globe. The payment system in most instances would cover all services from primary care doctors, specialists, counselors, and hospitals, forcing them to work together closely.

"We're not looking to spend less than we do today, but we want spending to grow at a rate that's affordable," Andrew Dreyfus, executive vice president for healthcare services at Blue Cross, told the newpaper. "And we want to empower physicians and hospitals to provide the right care."

For more information, click here.

• E-mail to a Colleague
• Print
• RSS
• Archive