U.S. physicians to receive nearly $10M from Humana's Provider Quality Rewards Program

Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) has begun distributing nearly $10 million to physicians across the U.S. who participate in Humana's Provider Quality Rewards Program. Approximately 2,800 physician practices will receive payments of as much as $175,000 in recognition of performance improvements their practices made during 2010 related to improved outcomes for Humana's Medicare members.

"Humana's Provider Quality Rewards Program seeks to support practices with the goal of improving outcomes and efficiencies in the entire health care delivery system," said Tim O'Rourke, vice president of provider engagement at Humana. "This program begins a shift to a more holistic view of the patient and changes the physician-payer relationship to focus on patients' quality of life, improving outcomes, and lowering health care costs."

Humana's payments to physician practices are based on the practices' ability to improve quality in nine National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) preventive and chronic-condition management areas, including:

• Breast cancer screening
• Glaucoma screening
• Colorectal cancer screening
• Cholesterol screening
• Diabetes management
• Osteoporosis medication management
• Spirometry testing for COPD patients
• Monitoring patients on persistent medication
• Anti-rheumatic drugs for patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Physician practices that achieved quality improvements - regarding treatment of Humana Medicare members - in the majority of the nine measures during 2010 are receiving the largest reward payments from Humana.

"The feedback we've received from doctors about this program has been very good. We're excited about the future of Humana's provider-engagement model, and that this program is continuing in 2011, because of what it represents - a way to recognize and reward the great strides these physician practices are making toward helping their patients achieve lifelong well-being," O'Rourke said.