Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Oncologist May Lose License After Allegedly Giving Cancer Patients Cheap, Imported Drugs
The Associated Press: Illinois Doctor Accused Of Importing Unapproved Cancer Drugs
An Illinois doctor may lose her license for allegedly putting unknowing patients at risk by giving them cheap, imported cancer drugs in violation of federal law. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation temporarily suspended the medical license of Ann Kinnealey of Evanston last week. The state medical board is scheduled to hear the case April 21 in Chicago. (Johnson, 4/14)
Kaiser Health News: Rise In Oncologists Working For Hospitals Spurs Higher Chemo Costs: Study
If you have cancer, chances are your outpatient chemotherapy treatment costs are higher if your oncologist works for a health care system than if she has her own practice, a recent study found. The study by researchers at the University of Chicago analyzed private health insurance claims data from the Health Care Cost Institute, a nonprofit research organization, and national data about consolidation among doctors and hospitals between 2008 and 2013. It found significant consolidation between outpatient oncology practices and health care systems in the decade leading up to 2013. The researchers linked that to a rise in spending on drug-based cancer care. Each 1-percentage-point increase in the proportion of medical providers who were affiliated with a hospital or health system was associated with a 34 percent increase in annual average spending per person on outpatient cancer drug treatment, they reported. (Andrews, 4/15)
