When it comes to health care, higher costs don’t always mean better care. That’s according to a report published this week by Consumer Reports.
Independent investigators compared quality and cost for 18 primary care groups in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. They found that one of the groups with the lowest costs rated highest for quality of care.
The analysis shows that the old saying “You get what you pay for” doesn’t always apply to health care, says John Santa, MD, who directs the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center.
“There were high-quality groups with lower costs and lower-quality groups with high costs,” Santa says.
Health Care Quality Not Determined by Cost
The analysis by the nonprofit HMO HealthPartners’ network looked at quality of care and patient satisfaction. It also looked at the affordability of medical tests and drugs, and the cost of care for short-term and long-term illnesses.
The percentage of patients reaching blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes goals were among the 88 measures of quality of care.
Among the key factors involved in delivering quality care at a reasonable cost:
Taking a team approach to health care delivery…
Read more: WebMD
