Study: Even If Your Doctor Is a Dud, Most Likely You'll Stay With Him
I don't know about you but a doctor has to do something really bad (like miss a second cancer) for me to consider switching. But a new study has found that p atients with an existing relationship with a doctor in a lower performing segment of the marketplace "were no more likely to switch doctors than patients with higher performing doctors," according to newswise.com. Other parts of the study found that p atients with doctors ranked in lower performing tiers were more likely to switch health plans than other patients. The Web site reports that m any health insurers now rank their physicians into tiers based on quality and cost and provide financial incentives to members for choosing a doctor in a higher tier. These tiered networks are designed to promote competition and quality improvement among providers. Research showed that, while patients selecting a tiered doctor for a first-time visit, patients were likely to "choose one ranked in the best performing ...