A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

One part of ObamaCare calls for the collection and analysis of patient by hospital data which may lead to more efficient care:

New Medicare data show disparities in health care costs
By Jordan Rau | Kaiser Health News
Posted on Wednesday, May 9, 2012

WASHINGTON — The government has identified hundreds of hospitals whose Medicare patients are incurring especially high bills, a first step toward using bonuses and penalties to encourage more efficient health care nationwide.

The data for the first time allow for comparisons between hospitals from different parts of the country.

As the nation’s biggest insurer, Medicare’s proposal to link reimbursement to efficient care is expected to reverberate throughout the health care system when it starts in October 2014.