In Turf War Over Physicians’ Practices, Hospitals Are Winning By A Long Shot. But Insurers Are Clawing Back.
More insurers are becoming engaged with buying up physician practices as a way to control cost and stop the spread of hospital consolidation.
Modern Healthcare:
Reigniting The Physicians Arms Race, Insurers Are Buying Practices
In the turf war between hospitals and health insurers over physician practices, hospitals are winning by a long shot. But they'd be ill advised to get too comfortable. A slew of recent activity shows that insurers are clawing their way back, whether by outright purchases of medical practices or targeting outpatient facilities that employ doctors. (Livingston, 6/2)
In other health industry news —
Modern Healthcare:
Higher Stakes: Boards Play Pivotal Role In Hospital Direction
As health systems explore the wild frontier of consumerism, more and more of them seek direction from industry outsiders. Boardrooms have always been filled with trustees from a cross section of industries, but now expertise in driving consumer engagement, an appreciation for data analytics, a knowledge of information security, and an understanding of how to recruit and retain employees are all at a premium. It's the evolution of the board's role and seeing how all of the pieces fit together to affect the bottom line. These insights will become more critical as payers use different metrics as a performance yardstick. (Kacik, 6/2)
