Free doctors, save Medicare

John Goodman: “We should be willing to reward doctors and other health-care providers who raise quality and lower costs — including improving patient communication and access to care, and teaching patients how to be better managers of their own care.

Accordingly, providers should be able to propose and obtain a different reimbursement arrangement, provided that (1) the total cost to government does not increase, (2) patient quality of care does not decrease, and (3) there is a mechanism for accountability, and a method of measuring and assuring that (1) and (2) have been satisfied.”