Practice Management Alert
Horizon BCBS Pays Practices to be Proactive Rather Than Reactive
Plus, Massachusetts BCBS members may pay more for certain hospitals. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield in New Jersey has started a program with 63 primary care physicians to provide "patientcentered medical homes" to their patients. Rather than reimburse the doctors for treating sick patients, the insurance company will pay the participating physicians a fee for coordinating patient care, which includes practices such as scheduling wellness visits and tracking patient health. In addition, the payer will offer additional payment incentives if the physicians demonstrate efforts that ensure that more patients are getting timely screenings. Horizon is placing "population care coordinators" at the participating practice offices to provide clinical and administrative support for this program. According to the Wall Street Journal, the goal is "to cut costs and keep up with changes in the health-care industry" by changing how primary care physicians are paid, by providing incentives to monitor patients between visits. In other news: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts launched a new plan in January that means members will pay more for being treated at more expensive hospitals. According to the payer, it is their fastest new product launch ever. For example, "the Blue Cross Hospital Choice plan charges members an extra $1,000 for an inpatient stay or outpatient surgery, and $450 more for an MRI at 15 higher-cost hospitals, including Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women's hospitals," according to the Boston Globe. Plus, "companies and workers that sign up get a significant break on their health insurance premiums, increasing by 4.5 percent for the first quarter of the year instead of 10 percent," the Boston Globe reports.
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Horizon BCBS Pays Practices to be Proactive Rather Than Reactive
Plus, Massachusetts BCBS members may pay more for certain hospitals.Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield in [...]
