What is a key characteristic of pay-for-performance programs?

Pay-for-performance programs are designed with the primary aim of incentivizing high-quality patient care. These programs reward healthcare providers based on the quality of care they deliver rather than the quantity of services rendered. This approach encourages providers to focus on outcomes and patient satisfaction, fostering an environment where improvements in care delivery are prioritized.

By aligning financial incentives with quality measures—such as adherence to clinical guidelines, patient outcomes, and patient satisfaction scores—these programs motivate healthcare providers to enhance their performance. This results in better health outcomes for patients, as the quality of care is directly linked to the reimbursement received by the providers.

The other choices either misrepresent the goals of pay-for-performance programs or focus on aspects that are not central to their purpose. For example, penalizing providers for late insurance claims is unrelated to care quality. Restricting services to preventive care ignores the broader scope of care required for overall health management, and focusing solely on reducing costs neglects the crucial aspect of improving care quality, which is fundamental to these programs.