Consumers, Health Care Purchasers, Physicians, and Health Insurers Announce Agreement on Principles to Guide Physician Performance...( WASHINGTON April 1 2008 -- Leadi...),Health

WASHINGTON, April 1, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Leading consumer, employer and labor organizations today announced a comprehensive national agreement with leading physician groups and health insurers on principles to guide how health plans measure doctors' performance and report the information to consumers.

The "Patient Charter for Physician Performance Measurement, Reporting and Tiering Programs" announced today creates a national set of principles to guide measuring and reporting to consumers about doctors' performance. The accord is an important step toward patient-centered health reform that gives patients reliable information that will lead to better care and help them make informed choices. Where embraced, the Patient Charter will ensure both consumers and physicians will be able to understand, trust and contribute to how health plans rate doctors' performance.

The leading health plans that adopt the Patient Charter are agreeing to a standard set of principles for performance measurement and reporting and to have their consumer reports assessed by an independent review organization.

Consumer, employer and labor groups endorsing the charter include AARP, AFL-CIO, the Leapfrog Group, the National Business Coalition on Health, the National Partnership for Women and Families and Pacific Business Group on Health. Physician groups that support the accord include: the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association, the American College of Cardiology and the American College of Surgeons. Supporting insurers include the America's Health Insurance Plans, Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare and WellPoint. The agreement was spearheaded by the Consumer-Purchaser Disclosure Project, a group of leading consumer, labor and employer organizations that works to ensure that all Americans have access to publicly reported health care performance information.

The agreement will
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