Why Is Andrew Dreyfus Smiling?

Andrew Dreyfus was practically cheek to cheek with the governor this morning, answering questions from reporters about the big health care cost-cutting plan introduced today. Perhaps Dreyfus, president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts, is grinning because he appears to be ahead of the curve on payment reform: nudging providers to improve care while reducing costs, and introducing a new plan requiring members to pay more if they choose to get treatment at a "high-cost" hospital, among them the Brigham & Women's and Mass. General. Dreyfus says doctors will ultimately embrace a new system that takes a "whole-person" approach to medicine because it will "liberate them from the treadmill," of the current model which, at its core, rewards quantity over quality.

Here's Dreyfus' initial take on Gov. Patrick's proposal: