UnitedHealthcare gave $1.2 million in bonuses to about 40 Virginia physicians receiving the 2014 PATH Excellence in Patient Service Awards. The PATH program is aiding the transition to value-based payments for Medicare Advantage members.
Here are five key points:
1. The physicians received bonuses for closing gaps when treating UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage members.
2. United Healthcare's PATH program awards physicians who achieve targets for 17 Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set measures. Health plans and the CMS use HEDIS to evaluate performance on dimensions of healthcare and service.
3. UnitedHealthcare created the PATH program to ensure that aging patients receive the best preventive healthcare services. The program is intended to increase engagement between physicians and patients and close gaps of care.
4. Nearly 1 million UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage members are treated by PATH program doctors in 2015.
5. UnitedHealthcare serves about one in five Medicare beneficiaries, making it the largest business focused on health for seniors.
"As UnitedHealthcare continues building deeper, more collaborative relationships with care providers, the PATH Excellence in Patient Service Awards are just one step we are taking to support the transition to a value-based healthcare system in which payment is increasingly based on ensuring the people we serve receive the highest quality care they need," said Sam Ho, MD, chief medical officer of UnitedHealthcare.
