Harvard Pilgrim members who receive a physician referral will be asked to call a “clinical concierge” service, which will direct them to other hospitals or facilities that charge less for the same service. According to the report, members will receive a check ranging from $10 to $75.
Eric Schultz, CEO of Harvard Pilgrim, said the program aims to help people make wiser healthcare choices and curb the rising costs of diagnostic tests, imaging tests and other procedures. “Doctors are still referring patients for diagnostics based on the way they’ve always done it, without regard for the cost,” Mr. Schultz said in the report. “But we can’t sit around and accept behavior that drives costs up with little or no impact on quality.”
However, some physicians think the program may undercut their thought process about where patients need to go for their medical tests and procedures.
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