A Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana program that emphasizes treatment of chronic diseases has cut costs by about $25 per patient per month over the last two years. During the first nine months of 2015, family doctors in the Quality Blue Primary Care program recorded a 25 percent improvement in diabetes care, 31 percent in high blood pressure care, 40 percent in vascular disease care and 69 percent in kidney disease care, according to the nonprofit insurer.
The idea to reward physicians for meeting quality measures that help keep patients healthy is nothing new. This specific program targets the chronically ill, whose health care costs are much higher. Announcement