Independence Blue Cross Rewards Cost-Effective, Patient-Centered Primary Care With Enhanced Incentive Program.

Independence Blue Cross (IBC) has been incentivizing primary care physicians in Southeastern Pennsylvania to improve quality of care, efficiency, and helping to control costs through a PCMH initiative launched in 2010. Over 3,000 physicians are eligible to participate in this program, which allows for primary care clinicians to double their base reimbursement. Nearly $37 million in payments were made to these practices in 2011, making this the largest incentive IBC has provided to primary care doctors.IBC president and CEO, Daniel J. Hilferty, believes this program is “setting a new standard among health insurers nationally” by partnering with physicians and hospitals and rewarding health care practices for providing high-quality care in a cost-effective manner.Since its inception, participation in the PCMH has tripled to nearly 200 primary care practices in the area reaching more than half a million IBC members.  These numbers demonstrate the potential for transforming how care is delivered in the Unites States through use of the PCMH model.