|
|
|
|
News Release
HealthPartners awards physician bonuses
New awards for depression, specialty care, BMI
October 25, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – HealthPartners today announced that physicians and providers in 39 medical groups in Minnesota and western Wisconsin will receive a total of $500,000 in bonuses for meeting goals to improve patient care and safety in 2005. Providers earn the Partners in Excellence awards for delivering superior or excellent care for areas including diabetes and coronary artery disease, preventive services, tobacco cessation counseling and support, generic drug use and patient satisfaction. The awards, which are being announced at the Nicollet Island Pavilion, include new bonuses for ob-gyn, cardiology, physical therapy and behavioral health and for measuring patients' body mass index.
"Recognizing and rewarding quality care improves health for patients and it is a key step in transforming the payment system to get the best value for health care dollars," said Gail Amundson, M.D. HealthPartners medical director for quality improvement. Dr. Amundson noted that since HealthPartners began its pay-for performance program in 1997, improved health outcomes include:- HealthPartners members with diabetes, suffer 100 fewer heart attacks, 140 fewer amputations and 740 fewer eye complications each year.
- Generic drug use has increased to 61%. Every one percent increase in generic use among HealthPartners members reduces drug costs by $6 million per year.
- Tobacco use among HealthPartners members is at an all time low of 13% falling by 50% since 1998. Children's exposure to second hand smoke has fallen by 75% to 6%.
Burnsville Family Physicians, Metropolitan Pediatric Specialists and Northwest Family Physicians received the highest honors for meeting four measures. "Adding measures to improve care for depression and specialty care builds on the success of improving care for diabetes and other chronic conditions," said Babette Apland, HealthPartners senior vice president for health and care management.
About HealthPartners
Founded in 1957, the HealthPartners (www.healthpartners.com) family of healthcare companies serve more than one million medical and dental health plan members nationwide. It is the largest consumer-governed, nonprofit health care organization in the nation, providing care, coverage, research and education to improve the health of members, patients and the community. For the third year in a row, HealthPartners is rated one of the best commercial health plans in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, NCQA's "America's Best Health Plans 2007" and is ranked "Highest in Member Satisfaction among Commercial Health Plans in the Minnesota-Wisconsin Region" by J.D. Power and Associates.
Contact: 952-883-5308
Pager: 612-527-1921
|
|
|
|
|
|
