Doctors and Transparency

Anna Mathews wrote a nice article in the WSJ recently.

The article states that several organizations including the American Medical Association are criticizing the growing efforts by health plans to steer patients toward certain physicians based on cost or quality. The groups sent their arguments in a letter to insurers stating that the rankings may be unreliable and unfair. "There are serious flaws in health insurers' programs to try to rate individual physicians," said Cecil Wilson, president of the AMA.

Well, no doubt rating systems aren't perfect. They probably never will be.

But where are the AMA rating tools and transparency tools? Are there any physician organization leading the effort to improve quality ratings and make costs fair and transparent?

Patients want information on cost and quality. They will use the best information they can find.

If the AMA doesn't like the available rating tools, then they should take a leadership role in developing better ones.

The Healthcare Blue Book has helped thousands of patients find fair prices for care. It will be great to add the AMA's quality and cost information when they decide to share it.