Starting in April, people insured by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee will soon be able to compare doctors on quality of care and costs, part of a broader push to give consumers enough information to make wise choices on medical treatment, report The Tennessean.
Members with private insurance will be given secured online access to data showing how much individual doctors charge for various procedures. Doctors also would be rated based on whether patients got the right treatments or tests required for certain conditions.
Physicians will be able to review the quality and cost information on the new Web site, approximately 60 days before consumers gain access, and can provide feedback to the insurer.
BlueCross was able to incorporate practices such as disclosing how doctors are ranked and providing them a way to appeal incorrect ratings, in line with a model that New York’s Attorney General Andrew Cuomo created last year.
