Physicians

Oct 28 2013

According to research in the New England Journal of Medicine, physicians who own an interest in an integrated, intensity-modulated radiation therapy center, an expensive, highly reimbursed cancer treatment, are much more likely to use the technology on prostate cancer patients.

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1201141

Oct 14 2013

mds

By Kevin Roche Headlines No Comments

According to Health Affairs, more doctors are practicing in large groups, which raises hopes for better care coordination, but also likely supports demands for high reimbursement.

Oct 14 2013

uninsured

By Kevin Roche Headlines No Comments

Research in Health Affairs finds no evidence that physicians provide less care to Medicaid, Community Health Center or uninsured patients, in fact Medicaid patients appear to get more of some types of services.

Oct 14 2013

Variation in Private Plan Payments to Physicians

By Kevin Roche Commentary No Comments

A study published in Health Affairs examines variation in payments by private health plans to physicians for common services.

Sep 25 2013

Pay-for-Performance, EHRs and Small Practices

By Kevin Roche Commentary No Comments

Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association examines the effects of pay-for-performance incentives on quality of care in smaller physician offices that use EHRs.

Sep 20 2013

hit

By Kevin Roche Headlines No Comments

The Medical Group Management Association reports that Practices’ annual HIT spending grew 28% from 2008 to 2012, to almost $20,000 per physician. Staffing for administrative purposes has also increased, in large part due to more and more complex regulations.

Sep 20 2013

Incentives to Improve Blood Pressure Control

By Kevin Roche Commentary No Comments

Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that using individual physician incentives, but not practice-wide or combined incentives, appeared to improve hypertension control.

Sep 09 2013

md fee

By Kevin Roche Headlines No Comments

The Centers for Medicare Services explanation of the proposed 2013 Medicare physician reimbursement shows that costs for running a physician practice have been rising faster than reimbursement by about 1% a year since 1998.

Aug 21 2013

mdpay

By Kevin Roche Headlines No Comments

According to a Hay Group survey, doctors can expect an average 2.4% increase in salary in 2014, with group practice doctors getting more than those employed by hospitals and primary care physicians seeing larger gains than specialists.

Aug 20 2013

Physician Sentiment

By Kevin Roche Commentary No Comments

Another survey of doctors reveals their generally gloomy view of health care and medical practice.

Aug 01 2013

Physician Views on Cost Control

By Kevin Roche Commentary No Comments

The Journal of the American Medical Association carries a survey on how doctors in the United States view their role in controlling spending and gives their perspective on various approaches…

Jul 16 2013

gao

By Kevin Roche Headlines No Comments

A Government Accounting Office report finds that Medicare is paying substantially more than it otherwise would because of pathologist self-referral practices.

Jun 28 2013

Provider Perception of Insurer Administrative Performance

By Kevin Roche Commentary No Comments

The American Medical Association does an annual survey on payer performance on administrative issues affecting providers. This year's survey shows continuing improvement and some interesting tidbits.

Jun 21 2013

Physician Survey

By Kevin Roche Commentary No Comments

Jackson Healthcare does very interesting surveys of physician trends and attitudes. The most recent reveals growing discontent, which may affect how well reform rolls out.

May 21 2013