Opinion: Finding an economic model for high-tech, efficient healthcare

A nagging issue for healthcare reformers is the disincentive for many providers to adopt innovative approaches to care that improve health and cut costs. If you're paid a fee for each service you provide in your office, why would you invest in technologies and procedures that led to fewer billable services? One reason is to achieve better results, and that's good enough for some providers. But the Medicare program is supplying another rationale. It started cracking down last year on hospitals that readmit too many patients soon after discharging them. That penalty has led hospitals to pay more attention to technologies that can keep track of patients' progress at home, according to Anthony Shimkin, a senior marketing director for Qualcomm Life.