Paying for quality: not-for-profit program promotes rewards for performance.

Two years ago, the Institute of Medicine report Crossing the Quality Chasm issued a challenge to find ways to reduce the "burden of illness, injury, and disability" in the United States while "improving the health and functioning" of the population. Last month, a new program called Bridges to Excellence--created by a coalition of major employers, physicians, health plans, and others--was unveiled to meet that goal by rewarding physicians through incentive payments related to performance.