Employers to Offer ‘Rewards’ for Quality Care

The Central Florida Health Care Coalition, a group of large Florida employers, will give financial rewards to physicians who meet certain quality and best practices standards, the New York Times reports. The group, which includes Lockheed Martin, Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, is comparing local physicians' "clinical, financial and patient-satisfaction data" with "benchmark standards" developed by the Agency for Health Care Quality and Research for treatment of diseases including asthma, diabetes and heart failure. The group also analyzes cost-related data such as which drugs doctors prescribe and how many diagnostic tests they order. Becky Cherney, president of the coalition, said, "The goal is to utilize the information to reward physicians who have the best outcomes [and] pay for performance" (Freudenheim, New York Times, 11/16).