Articles by Dr. James Palermo

About Dr. James Palermo
DR. JIM PALERMO, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Dr. Palermo, a 30-year resident of Brevard County, touched the lives of countless people during his 22-year practice of general, vascular and non-cardiac thoracic surgery. In 2002 he transitioned from clinical practice and accepted a position as full-time chief medical officer and vice president of quality management of Health First, which afforded him the opportunity to serve the global community in a more meaningful way. An accomplished author and sought-after expert in the healthcare industry, Dr. Palermo is now an independent consultant focused on healthcare quality and safety, and physician leadership development.
Brevard News

Medicare Pilot: Pay For Quality Or Wasteful Political Ploy?

April 26, 2012 Ricardo Alonzo-Zaldivar 0

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a blow to the Obama administration on Medicare, government auditors Monday called for the cancellation of a costly bonus program for private health plans that congressional Republicans have criticized as a wasteful political ploy.

The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office said it’s not clear that the $8.3 billion Medicare Advantage bonus program will improve quality because most of the money is going to plans just rated average. The auditors did find, however, that the bonuses would temporarily ease the pain of unpopular cuts to insurance plans under President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul law. […]