P4P EMR program

Health Management Technology, May, 2005

Physicians in Maryland and nine other states who install electronic medical records and meet quality standards can earn up to $20,000 in an incentive program sponsored by CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield in Baltimore.

The Blues plan, serving 3.2 million members, is participating in the Bridges to Excellence pay-for-performance program that started in Ohio and Kentucky and has expanded as a model for similar health plans around the country. Only physicians who get satisfactory ratings issued by the National Committee for Quality Assurance are eligible for the incentives, paid as a $50 bonus for each CareFirst patient seen.

Because an EMR system can cost from $30,000 to $55,000 to install, the program offers a neat way to recoup some of the purchase and installation expenses.