New York State Lawmakers Pledge To Pass Law Mandating Physician Ranking Systems Are Not Based Solely On Costs

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Also Included In: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 29 Nov 2007 - 7:00 PDT

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New York state lawmakers, led by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D), on Monday said they would pass a law that ensures health insurers use quality-of-care measures and not only cost in their physician ranking systems, the AP/Albany Times Union reports. Cuomo developed a model code for physician ranking systems, and six insurers, including UnitedHealth Group, Aetna, Cigna and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, have agreed to adopt it. Four of the insurers said they would apply the code to their ranking systems nationwide.

Under the code, insurers must disclose their ranking criteria to physicians and consumers and must base their rankings on established national standards. In addition, insurers must retain a monitor to oversee compliance with the agreement. Cuomo's effort received support from leaders of physician and consumer groups.

Cuomo began the campaign to create standards for physician ranking systems because "he was concerned insurers might rate a doctor's quality based disproportionately on the insurance company's economic interests," according to the AP/Times Union. "It is imperative that New Yorkers aren't steered to certain preferred physicians based solely on cost but instead have access to clear and meaningful measurements of quality of care to help them make well-informed decisions," Cuomo said on Monday.

American Medical Association President-Elect Nancy Nielsen said, "Attorney General Cuomo is to be credited for persuading many of the nation's largest health insurers to acknowledge the risks of physician profiling" (Matthews, AP/Albany Times Union, 11/27).

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