11/2/2004: Cost Profiles of Doctors Appeal Powerfully to MedPac as Method to Moderate Premium Increases (CQ HealthBeat via The Commonwealth Fund)

Excerpt: Arnold Milstein, a leading expert on health care purchasing, says few other options in health care have as much power as 'provider profiling' to moderate health insurance premium increases. In a point of view echoed by other commissioners at a meeting of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission on Thursday, Milstein said the technique--which compares individual doctors on how many tests and other procedures they order for a particular type of care--should be a central part of Medicare.