Quality as a revenue stream

Texas Medical Association officials say quality improvement allows physicians to increase reimbursements and quality of care in the face of impending cuts in the Medicare program. The Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) is one of three Centers for Medicare & Medicaid initiatives that pay physicians significant bonuses. Texas physicians who have participated say earning the bonuses in at least two of those programs - PQRS and e-prescribing - is relatively easy. The third, achieving meaningful use of electronic health records, is more complicated.