Establishing such a precedent could also lead to any number of downstream consequences for independent physicians, facilities, and other clinicians. Some health policy analysts have proposed setting price limits in the private market, though such measures are particularly controversial, as they interfere with market-based negotiations. Again, the efficacy of this approach is debatable since hospitals in consolidated markets may attempt to offset the loss of income associated with these facility fees by increasing their professional charges and taking other measures that ultimately lead insurers to pay the same costs in totality. Some states, such as Connecticut, Indiana, and Maine, have already begun taking action against certain types of facility fees. Meanwhile, insurers only occasionally possess the market power to reign in facility fees, albeit at the expense of agreeing to increase reimbursement for other services. On one hand, it has been argued that some of these higher costs, such as facility fees in the private market, drive up costs for patients, particularly in consolidated markets. One of the debates raging in the healthcare policy community is what, if anything, should be done about the higher costs associated with hospital outpatient care relative to the care provided at independent physician practices. By Jarrod Fowler, MHA, FMA Director of Healthcare Policy and Innovation | Aug.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |