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Physicians saving Medicare millions

Patient Financial Services Weekly Advisor, The Tennessean, December 28, 2007

Medicare is saving money in its "pay for performance" pilot program. The program, a four-year experiment that ends in March 2009, saved Medicare an estimated $9.5 million in 2006, according to a report in The Tennessean.

Physicians at 10 large practices use innovations in electronic health records in order to help them reach their goal of saving Medicare more than 2 percent in costs. If they do so, those physician practices get an annual bonus.

In turn, Medicare patients get better care, The Tennessean reports. The elderly and disabled are getting "comprehensive, coordinated" care they normally do not.

"I get good care," said Mason Samsel, 82, one of 26,000 Medicare patients receiving treatment from Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania as part of the pilot project. "When I get through with an appointment they schedule me at that time for three months later ... and if there's anything that comes up in between, call, and I'm in here very quick."

Two of the 10 group practices in the experiment surpassed the savings target required by Medicare in the first year. Marshfield Clinic in central Wisconsin and the University of Michigan Faculty Group Practice in Ann Arbor shared $7.3 million in performance payments.

To read the full story, click here

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