Understandably, the changes to payment heighten sensitivity among hospitals and doctors about how their performance is measured. Even measures that have been exhaustively tested and validated face new levels of scrutiny when money is on the table. Many providers even call for delaying the changes in payment until measures can be perfected even more.
But employers and other purchasers of health care are determined to move forward with new payment standards without delay and will not await measurement perfection to do so.
