Medicare to Employ Profiling?
A recent hearing in front of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee was held at the request of Chairman Pete Stark (D-CA) to examine potential means to control Medicare costs. The meetings revealed that CMS may have the means to identify physicians who are more efficient compared to their colleagues.
However, current administration officials from CMS suggest that a superior tactic would be to link the data noting practice inefficiencies with means to educate clinicians on how to improve practice.
This type of activity is also called profiling. Profiling experts note that such activities are associated with improved clinician efficiency.
The ability of CMS to undertake these activities with current resources is unclear. Another contentious issue is whether efficiency measures should be linked to levels of reimbursement.
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May 15, 2007 Related topics: Legal & legislative