New Program to Improve Patient Satisfaction in Health Care

Earlier this month WellPoint, Inc. announced a plan to boost primary-care doctors’ reimbursements. Though this is great news for primary-care doctors this also benefits many Americans and elderly involved with the insurance company.

WellPoint, Inc. is America’s second largest health-care insurer. It has a network of roughly 100,000 primary-care doctors and insures about 34 million Americans.[1]

WellPoint described their new program as such, “The program will increase doctors’ revenue opportunities, enhance information sharing and provide care management support.”[2]

The important thing to note here is that WellPoint’s new program does not only benefit primary-care doctors but also their patients. In addition to now covering the area of care management, the new program will reward primary-care doctors who meet certain quality goals including keeping their patients healthier for longer periods of time and for lower cost. The Associated Press explained that WellPoint wants to give their doctors an opportunity to do more for their patients outside of their regular visits. They want to promote a better understanding among patients of their overall health and knowledge of symptoms – this could eventually help prevent chronic illnesses from becoming too difficult to treat.

In addition to helping patients better understand their health, WellPoint will also now pay doctors to develop treatment plans for those patients who are suffering with chronic illnesses. Jill Hummel, WellPoint’s vice president of payment innovation, stated, “Under the concept, doctors will be able to spend more time with patients, listening to them and understanding their concerns.”[3] 

Several pilot projects have already shown signs of patient satisfaction and improved quality.[1]