WellPoint To Revamp Primary Care Pay
This summer, WellPoint, the nation's second largest health insurer, will begin paying more for primary care.
The Associated Press: Insurer WellPoint To Revamp Primary Care Pay
Health insurer WellPoint says it plans to improve primary care doctor payments and start reimbursing physicians for some things it doesn't currently cover as a way boost care quality and save money. WellPoint Inc. operates Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in 14 states and is the largest health insurer based on enrollment, with more than 34 million people covered (1/27).
The Wall Street Journal: An Rx? More To Family Doctors
The nation's second-largest health insurer is shaking up its approach to paying doctors, putting a major investment behind the idea that spending more for better primary care can save money down the road. Starting this summer, WellPoint Inc., which insures some 34 million Americans, will offer primary-care doctors a fee increase, typically of around 10 percent, with the possibility of additional payments that could boost what they get for treating the patients it covers by as much as 50 (Weaver and Mathews, 1/27).
In other news related to the practice of medicine —
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Why Heart Doctors Are Leaving Practice To Work For Hospitals
Insecurity about falling insurance payments and the impact of impending health care changes are driving droves of cardiologists — among the highest-paid doctors — to leave private practice and become hospital employees. The doctors are seeking to protect their income and get relief from the hassles of managing a business, as pressure mounts to reduce costs and invest in expensive computer systems. Hospitals, meanwhile, want closer relationships with doctors as changes loom that will reward efficiency and care coordination both in and out of the hospital (Burling, 1/26).