Have Efforts To Change Doctor Pay Impacted The System?
The Washington Post explores physician payments while Politico Pro reports on the American Medical Association's investment in repealing Medicare's sustainable growth rate.
The Washington Post's Wonkblog:
A Revolution In How Doctors Are Paid Isn’t Really Changing How Doctors Are Paid
It’s one of the grand ideas that is supposed to revolutionize U.S. health care: reward doctors who keep patients well with fewer tests, procedures, and appointments. That might register as barely profound to most of us, but it is a radical shift in the incentives that doctors and hospitals face. Under the Affordable Care Act, some doctor’s groups and hospitals have banded together in accountable care organizations to treat Medicare patients under this new philosophy. If the patient stays healthier with fewer appointments, the providers get a share of the cost savings. (Johnson, 7/20)
Politico Pro:
AMA Spent Big On SGR Repeal
Nixing the flawed Medicare physician payment formula didn’t come cheap for the American Medical Association, which spent a hefty $12.4 million lobbying lawmakers last quarter as Congress approved repeal legislation, new disclosures show. (Mershon, 7/20)
In related news -
The Washington Post:
You Need Surgery. So How Do You Find The Right Doctor?
One of the most frustrating experiences for patients is choosing a doctor for surgery. Now two groups have come out with free ratings tools that allow people to search online for surgeons performing several major types of operations. One consumer group compiled a database that lists only top performers. The second, ProPublica, an investigative journalism group, includes information on poor performers. (Sun, 7/20)