MINNEAPOLIS, Updated 2:47 p.m. CDT September 6, 2006 -- The Minnesota Medical Association (MMA) released a report Tuesday that grades health plan tiering programs that slot physician clinics into tiers on the basis of cost and sometimes quality measures.

MINNEAPOLIS, Updated 3:20 p.m., CDT July 26, 2006 -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota released details Monday about its new tiered health plan for clinics.<

MINNEAPOLIS, Updated 8:00 a.m. CST May 13, 2005 -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota leaders Thursday agreed not to proceed with their plan to tier physician practices beginning in January 2006. In private conversations during the last few weeks, the Minnesota Medical Association has strongly urged Blue Cross to withdraw its proposed plan, citing design and operational defects that could have had a negative impact on physicians and their patients.