QUALITY: Medicare Inching Towards Paying Incentives

Why This Topic Matters

It helps healthcare leaders, coders, and policy observers understand how Medicare was exploring quality-based payment incentives and what administrative and compliance concerns accompanied those efforts.

Article Sections

1. Performance measurement and incentive approaches

   Introduces several broad ways Medicare could assess physician performance and tie payment to quality. The section discusses different types of quality metrics and the policy debate around rewarding higher performance.

2. Integrated Healthcare Association of California program

   Summarizes a California physician bonus program referenced as an example of pay-for-performance activity. It notes the program’s general direction, focus areas, and broader context.

3. What Can CMS Do To Help?

   Describes CMS efforts to support physician adoption of information technology and quality improvement infrastructure. The section also mentions agency initiatives and demonstrations intended to encourage better care delivery.

4. Physician concerns and advisory council actions

   Covers concerns raised by physicians about privacy, liability, and participation requirements. It also notes advisory council resolutions directed at federal agencies.