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Board renews Best Doctors second‑opinion service for 2018 and asks for quarterly reporting
Summary
The board approved continuing Best Doctors' expert second‑opinion service for Jan–Dec 2018 after reviewing two months of utilization data; staff and the actuary will provide quarterly updates to the board.
The San Francisco Health Service Board voted to renew the Best Doctors second‑opinion and expert referral service for the 2018 plan year after hearing an operational update from Best Doctors and Aon Hewitt.
John Fisher, vice president of business development at Best Doctors, said the program handled about 200 cases in its first two months with city members; in that small sample Best Doctors reported diagnosis changes in 45 percent of interconsultations and treatment‑plan changes in a higher share. Fisher described examples in oncology and gynecology that led to different follow‑up recommendations and possible avoidance of additional surgery in one case.
Board members cautioned the sample is short and asked for more segmented data (by plan, by active/retiree status and by utilization characteristics). The board accepted the staff and actuary recommendation to continue Best Doctors for January–December 2018 at the recommended rate and asked that quarterly reporting on utilization and outcomes be brought into future meetings.
"We provide quarterly reporting, which we walked through with your team," Fisher said, and staff affirmed the board will receive those reports for oversight.
