A new report says rural health care providers should be required to participate in federal pay-for-performance programs,reports The Rural Blog.The study was requested by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Pay-for-performance plans reward healthcare providers for meeting certain measures for quality and efficiency. These programs penalize caregivers for poor outcomes, medical errors, or increased costs. The report recommended a two- to four-year phased-in approach for including rural providers in federal quality-improvement initiatives.
The study suggested the federal government should use performance-based payment incentives but not institute penalties.
Small patient populations would be considered, as well as the challenges posed by heterogeneous rural populations. Critics say adopting payment incentives without penalties might be politically unfeasible.