vertical 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…

The Effects of Accountable Care Organizations Forming Preferred Skilled Nursing Facility Networks on Market Share, Patient Composition, and Outcomes

April 1, 2021Garrett SchmittNo Commentspatient outcomes, skilled nursing facilities, vertical integration

Through participation in payment reforms such as bundled payment and accountable care organizations (ACOs), hospitals are increasingly financially responsible for health care use and adverse health events occurring after hospital discharge. To improve management and coordination of postdischarge care, ACO hospitals are establishing a closer relationship with skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) through the formation of…