As the debate regarding healthcare reform rages on, perhaps too often the blame for rising health care costs is pointed at physicians, and as a result, physician reimbursement has historically…
Continue Reading The Next Health Care Crisis: Not Enough Physicians
The emergence of narrow network HMO products is a trend worth watching for several reasons: first, it demonstrates that third party payers are aggressively seeking to better manage health care costs and are looking for innovative ways to do so; and, second, it is apparent that as new products are developed, those providers who are integrated (both horizontally and vertically) are most likely to be the players of choice.
Continue Reading “Narrow Network” HMOs — An Emerging Trend Worth Watching
It’s clear that hospitals and health systems are once again acquiring physician practices in an effort to stabilize their referral networks. However, according to a recent article in the Washington…
Continue Reading Health Insurers Getting into the Doctor Biz
The health reform law (PPACA) requires referring physicians who provide in-office MRI, CT or PET services to inform a patient in writing at the time of the referral that the patient…
One of the few true payment reform models built into the health care reform law passed earlier this year is the Accountable Care Organization (ACO). Unfortunately, absent final regulations implementing…
Continue Reading October 5, 2010 Accountable Care Organization Workshop Agenda
As if physicians didn’t already have enough to worry about, it appears that many states are now contemplating expanding the scope of practice of nurse practitioners. According to recent AP…
Continue Reading States Look to Expand Role of Nurse Practitioners
For physicians in the process of developing physician-owned hospitals, the race is on to get those facilities up and running by December, 2010. The recently enacted “Health Care and
…
Continue Reading The Race to Complete Physician-Owned Hospitals Is On
Among its many provisions, the newly signed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has imposed a new requirement on physicians who rely on the Stark "In-Office Ancillary Services" exception. Physicians who refer patients…
Continue Reading New Requirements on Stark In-Office Ancillary Services
In what should be welcome news for physicians, yesterday the House of Representatives quietly passed a bill which would repeal a long-standing exemption for insurance companies from federal anti-trust laws. …
Continue Reading House Quietly Repeals Insurance Anti-trust Exemption
In anticipation of a much publicized bipartisan meeting with representatives of Congress, President Obama released today a comprehensive health plan which seeks to combine the House and the Senate health…
Continue Reading President Obama Unveils Comprehensive Health Plan
