Blue Cross finds savings from incentives - Houston Business Journal:

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Patients of doctors who meet standards for efficiencieds in practice management received 12 percentfewer high-cost imaging a BCBSNC analysis found. Thos patients also visited the emergency room 34 percent less oftenh and were 24 percent less likely to seea specialist. As a result annual health care spending is less per patieng than forthe insurer’s customer populatiojn as a whole. The study was completed at the conclusiomn ofthe company’s three-year pilot for healt care quality under the national Bridges to Excellencre program. BCBSNC is looking for ways to expand the concept of providing rewards and recognition to doctors who meetqualituy standards.
Since launching the pilot in the insurer andits partner, the Statw Health Plan for Teachers and State has paid $4.2 million to participating physicians. The pilot included 194 physicians representingb 41 practices who earned rewards for meetinb at least one quality Counting all ofthe insurer’s network of doctors, regardless of whethefr they participated in the pilot program, more than 970 had achievexd at least one quality standard as of When BCBSNC began the pilot, fewed than 100 physicians in the statee were recognized as having met a standard.