Insurer wants boost for primary care at imaging’s expense

April 24, 2009 Diagnostic Imaging. Insurer wants boost for primary care at imaging’s expense By H.A. Abella The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association has recommended boosting payments to primary care physicians and paying for them with cuts to imaging services. The suggestion came during a congressional hearing on healthcare reform held by the Senate Finance Committee. Imaging proponents say they will challenge any proposal lacking evidence to support it. "To attain the goal of having everyone covered, we must address the underlying problems of our current delivery system," said Allan Korn, senior vice president and chief medical officer of the Blues, at a roundtable discussion held April 21 by the Senate Finance Committee. "Escalating costs are the main reason people are unable to obtain health insurance, and rising healthcare costs must be addressed through delivery system reforms that increase quality and enhance value." Delivery system reform entails moving Medicare away from the fee-for-service design and into one that pays for performance, according to Korn. To do this, he recommended a three-tiered strategy: a phase of immediate reforms; a second stage that could be planned and implemented within two years; and a last phase of major reforms that could be planned, tested, and implemented after that.

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This article was republished with permission from CMPMedica, LLC