CMS Must Launch Physician Comparison Site by 1/1/11

This is a great article on the issues that CMS faces in launching its website on physician comparison (http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/page-2/PHY-258341/CMS-Under-the-Gun-to-Launch-Physician-Compare-Site). It is not going to be easy. The biggest concern continues to be risk adjustment. According to an AMA official:

"But our concern is that individual doctor level data right now is not read for prime time, especially in complex situations. The attribution of who's really responsible for that care is not worked out."

Risk adjustment is still a big problem as well. "Some elective claim submission forms are limited in the number of co-morbid conditions they'll accept. Some take 4, 6, but the patient has 10."

This is really going to be interesting.