November 2012
| Business World Magazine | 119
based on a multitude of factors including
practice location and quality metrics. There
are added bonuses allowed through imple-
mentation of measures relating to HEDIS
(
Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Infor-
mation Set - a tool used by more than 90
percent of America’s health plans to measure
performance). As part of the MSO, mem-
bers not only receive the standard (or better)
PMPM rates and HEDIS bonuses, but will
also share in profits and surplus usually kept
by the MSO.
There are also add-on values members
receive which include: A national EMR/
EPM system at no cost, attribution and care
retention analytics, quality and cost metrics,
practice enhancement tools, survey and sat-
isfaction data, and much, much more.
In just the first few months of enroll-
ment, there are more than 40 physicians that
have joined with PremierMD in Dade and
Broward County, but Dr. Polner believes
the benefits will prompt many more to come
on board. He further believes this model for
South Florida has potential to be developed
in other areas of the state and even the coun-
try where change in healthcare is stirring
concern of healthcare providers.
Dr. Polner feels the healthcare indus-
try and hospital systems have thrived for too
long on the inability of primary doctors to
come together and form clinically-integrat-
ed group practices. He contends that Pre-
mierMD will shift the trends toward evi-
denced based medicine with greater quality
at a lower cost to the insurance plan. This
will enable primary care physicians to have
greater financial success and group security.
Additionally, physicians benefit from being
part of a large primary care group practice
that offers enhanced insurance contracts and
optimizes the quality of patient care.
There is no fee to join PremierMD,
and members reserve their right to partici-
pate, or not participate, in any of the special
programs or services provided.
Quality patient care, cost reduction,
physician independence, and leadership,
these are the fundamental objectives of Pre-
mierMD, says Dr. Polner.
“
Our goal is to create a network of doctors
that can work collaboratively and control
our destiny… doctors need to be cautiously
aware of the future, but not fear it… if we
work collectively, we can work successfully.”