Health Chief: Medicaid Pay Must Reflect Results

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The state's health chief says Louisiana must change its health care system for the poor by tying the money that supports it to improving the health of its patients.

Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Bruce Greenstein said that the state's Medicaid rolls have grown 12 percent in the last five years and spending has increased 34 percent in the government health insurance program for the poor.

The Advocate reports that Greenstein told a health forum Tuesday that the state continues using a health care system that rewards quantity of care instead of quality of care.

He said the situation underscores the need to move to a "pay for performance" system and away from paying physicians, hospitals and other health care providers based on services provided.