News: Federal government to send out '07 PQRI bonuses

The federal government began distributing more than 56,000 bonus checks to doctors and other health-care professionals last month. The payouts go to those who participated in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) by submitting data on clinical performance measures. The voluntary program allows eligible doctors to receive a bonus of 1.5 percent of their total allowed Medicare charges, subject to a cap. This year's payments, which average $600 per provider and $4,700 for a group practice, cover quality information reported for services rendered during the last half of 2007. Total bonuses are expected to exceed $36 million.