Blue Cross Blue Shield NC - "Bridges to Excellence"

Over the past three years, Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC has administered a pilot program to encourage doctors to meet national standards for excellence. The doctors were given financial incentives to meet standards for efficiencies in practice management. Over the three year test, BCBSNC and the State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees have spent $4.2 million in physician incentive compensation. When the program began, less than 100 physicians in North Carolina were recorded as meeting the standards. In April 2009, over 970 doctors in the Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC network met at least one quality standard.

The findings are that increased quality of health care results in lower overall costs. Patients of these doctors end up requiring fewer high cost testing such as CT scans. BCBSNC plans to expand the program state wide in a strategy to lower health insurance costs and improve the quality of health care.

Courtesy of Blue Cross Blue Shield Charlotte NC
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