Study casts doubt on whether financial rating tools are reliable

Less expensive physicians may not help reduce U.S. health-care costs, a new study suggests.

Insurance plans that use financial incentives and other methods to encourage patients to receive care from doctors who keep medical costs lower are becoming increasingly common. But these efforts may not be based on reliable estimates of doctor performance and may not achieve the intended savings, according to the RAND Corp., a non-profit research organization.

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