Maryland insurer to offer quality rewards

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield launched a new program designed to reward physicians as 7 percent extra for meeting a variety of standards of care. Those measures are a mix of process (if women get needed mammograms), service (if there are weekend or evening hours) and outcomes (if patients lower their cholesterol). The standards for bonus pay are taken from national organizations such as Medicare, medical specialty societies and the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the accreditation body for health insurers.