During the current economic recession, employers may be willing to try new techniques to improve the quality and efficiency of care employees receive under their health benefit plans—especially if they have the potential to lower insurance premiums. This article looks at tools such as tiered networks and employee financial incentives that may improve health care quality while lowering costs. Read more »
A state employee health plan designated hospitals, and later primary care physician practices, that met certain performance criteria as "preferred" providers, and then gave employees incentives to use them. While this initiative appears to have improved the quality of care, its impact on costs has not yet been evaluated. Read more »
An Interview with Dr. A. Mark Fendrick, Co-Director of the Center for Value-Based Insurance Design of the University of Michigan Read more »
Fund Report Outlines Path to Health Reform; Wal-Mart to Market Electronic Health Records; Pay-for-Performance Makes a Difference, Survey Finds; Patients Report Greater Satisfaction with Medical Practices Read more »
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