Bridges to Excellence Announces New Implementation Programs for Health Plans and Additions to Board of...( WASHINGTON Dec. 11 /- To make it ...),Health

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- To make it easier for health plans to recognize and reward doctors who demonstrate they have made significant improvements in the management of patients and deliver quality care, the non- profit Bridges to Excellence (BTE) has developed two new ways for plans to effectively implement BTE. The BTE Inside Certification and the BTE Incentive and Reward Program Endorsement programs are designed to eliminate redundant provider incentives and reduce administrative expenses for employers.

"These initiatives have been developed so that health plans can more easily integrate BTE into their operations and employers can understand which plans have embraced our core principles of community collaboration and recognizing and rewarding physicians for meeting specific quality criteria," said BTE CEO Francois de Brantes. "Shifting to a more flexible implementation plan will increase market coordination and lead to increased physician attention and better improvement."

Health plans can choose from two options

Both options will enable plans to demonstrate to employers that they are complying with the Four Cornerstones of Value-Driven Care (utilizing health information technology, measuring and publishing quality information, measuring and publishing price information, and creating positive incentives for high quality, efficient health care) and contributing significantly to the transformation of physician practices. Health plans and employers can find additional information on Bridges to Excellence's Web site: http://www.bridgestoexcellence.org/healthplans/recognitions.

Designed for health plans that want to implement the traditional BTE model of performance measurement and quality awards, the BTE Inside Certification focuses solely on the plan's execution of BTE programs and rewards and recognizes good quality.

The BTE I
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