Aetna to revamp doctor rankings

Health insurer Aetna Inc. agreed to make changes to its doctor-ranking system nationwide after a probe by the New York state attorney general into whether such programs steered patients toward low-cost physicians at the expense of quality.

Atty. Gen. Andrew Cuomo’s office said Tuesday that Aetna was the second U.S. insurer to adopt Cuomo’s model for physician-ranking programs and the first to apply it nationally.

Last month, Cigna Corp. reached a similar deal with Cuomo.

The Cuomo model compels insurers to disclose to consumers and physicians all aspects of their ranking system, which is supposed to help people choose doctors.

The insurer also must retain a monitor to oversee compliance and report to the attorney general every six months, the statement said.