The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends that the federal government focus less on quantity and more on quality when it comes to treating Medicare patients. The current system reimburses doctors a set amount for performing particular medical services. The IOM finds that this system doesn't do anything to encourage doctors to administer high-quality care. Instead, the report recommends instituting a pay-for-performance system, and it even suggests how to pay for such a program. The IOM says that the federal government should cut Medicare reimbursement across the board and use the extra money to reward high-performing doctors.
For more on the IOM's recommendation:
- read the report from the AP