Local Health Systems Plan To Add Quality Pay Bonuses

PITTSBURGH (AP),None — The two largest hospital networks in Pittsburgh currently pay doctors based on the number of patients treated, but they want to add bonuses tied to quality.

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and West Penn Allegheny Health System officials said that volume will remain a key part of the pay formula, but changing to a pay-for-performance model could help cut costs and reduce unnecessary treatments.

Primary care UMPC physicians could get bonuses of up to 20 percent based on whether they meet quality measures under a system being tested over the next year.

West Penn Allegheny wants to add patient outcomes and quality to pay now based on productivity, research and teaching activities, but that would not be until Highmark Inc. completes its planned acquisition.

WPXI