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CMS bonus for reporting quality data raises concern

Hospitalist Leadership Connection, January 10, 2007

Congress passed a measure on December 8, 2006 that gives a 1.5% pay increase to physicians who report quality measures to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This move is receiving mixed reaction, according to a January 3 article in Healthcare IT News.

To receive the bonus, physicians must report how often they provide quality care using measures defined by the government (e.g., how often they prescribe a certain drug after to heart attack victims).

Chris Weiss, president and CEO of Hanover, NH-based Dynamic Clinical Systems (DCS), an online electronic medical record company, is quoted in the article as saying that no amount of money will entice physicians to submit their quality data to CMS if they are unsure about pay-for-performance (P4P).

"Doctors are afraid of private payers, and they want control over the care they give," Weiss is quoted as saying. He also asserts in the article that physicians would have more confidence in P4P systems if CMS would first reward them for setting up a quality data reporting system and then allow additional time to submit the data.

To access the full story, click here.

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