Overdiagnosis and overtreatment – the experts aren’t immune either
The US health system pushes treatment over prevention. This approach has many flaws, one of the most unfortunate and costly being overdiagnosis and overtreatment. More
Designing a Successful Primary Care Physician Capitation Model
This Viewpoint proposes 7 elements necessary for a successful transition from a fee-for-service (FFS) to a capitated payment model for primary care physicians, all intended to sustain their ability to improve the quality and value of the care they provide while reducing costs. More
Viewpoint: A Path Forward for Alternative Payment
This Viewpoint explores existing payment models and waste elimination incentives and proposes a new approach to addressing waste in health care. More
Variability and Costs of Low-Value Preoperative Testing for Cataract Surgery Within the Veterans Health Administration
This cohort study of Veterans Health Administration records examines the prevalence of low-value preoperative tests for eye cataract operations and associations with patient demographic characteristics, procedure type, and facility size. More
A Primary Care Physician for Every American, Science Panel Urges
It’s time to consider primary care a “common good” akin to public education and shore up the foundation of the pandemic-battered U.S. health system, report says. More
Can Virginia Mason’s quality efforts survive merger?
The merger between Virginia Mason and CHI Franciscan health system in the Seattle area raises questions about maintaining quality and not raising prices. More
Higher Medicare Spending On Imaging And Lab Services After Primary Care Physician Group Vertical Integration
Using a 100 percent sample of 2013–16 Medicare fee-for-service claims data, we examined whether hospital and health system ownership of physician practices was associated with changes in site of care and Medicare reimbursement rates for ten common diagnostic imaging and laboratory services. More
Doctors More Likely to Prescribe Opioids to Covid ‘Long Haulers,’ Raising Addiction Fears
Chronic pain from covid can linger for months after patients appear to recover from the disease. More
Changing Diagnosis Patterns Are Increasing Medicare Spending for Inpatient Hospital Services
Overall Medicare spending increases for inpatient care are being driven more by rising volumes of highly reimbursed services than by growth in payments per se. More
Initiatives to Reduce Cesarean Delivery Rates for Low-risk First Births
Although cesarean delivery can be lifesaving for both the mother and neonate, the increase in cesarean delivery rates has not been associated with any demonstrable improvements in maternal or neonatal morbidity or mortality. More