AMA, state groups call for change to doctor rankings

The American Medical Association and 47 state medical groups are calling on health insurance giants to improve the accuracy of how physicians are rated for consumers enrolled in health plans.

The doctor groups are concerned that patients could be choosing doctors based on the cost of the physician services and inaccurate information of the health plan, rather than the quality of care the physician provides. The call comes as more employers are turning to such ratings to control premium costs and as consumers troll the Web for information on the best physicians, analysts said.

Insurance companies said physicians already are rated on quality and efficiency measures that allow health plan enrollees to choose the best doctors based on the amount of the plan's co-payment or deductible.