physician-hospital integration | VBCExhibitHall Library

Rising costs, low-value care linked to hospital-employed physicians, studies show

May 5, 2021Garrett SchmittNo CommentsAHA, CMS, group practice, healthcare costs, HHS, low-value care, Medicare claims, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, physician acquisition, physician employment, physician-hospital integration, physicians, private practice, vertical integration

Healthcare costs and low-value care tend to increase when hospitals acquire physicians, new studies published in Health Affairs show. The number of diagnostic and lab tests performed in hospitals versus unaffiliated facilities increased after doctors were acquired by hospitals, which inflated healthcare costs, according to an analysis of 30 million imaging procedures and 341 million…

Do accountable care organizations differ according to physician-hospital integration?

March 26, 2021Garrett SchmittNo CommentsIDS, PCPs, physician-hospital integration, Primary Care

Physician-hospital integration among accountable care organizations (ACOs) has raised concern over impacts on prices and spending. However, characteristics of ACOs with greater integration between physicians and hospitals are unknown. We examined whether ACOs systematically differ by physician-hospital integration among 16 commercial ACOs operating in Massachusetts. Using claims data linked to information on physician affiliation, we…