Navigation Links
Study suggests eliminating Medicare consultation payments associated with a net increase in spending
Date:11/26/2012

CHICAGO A study of Medicare claims data suggests that eliminating payments for consultations commonly billed by specialists was associated with a net increase in spending on visits to both primary care physicians and specialists, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

Before 2010, Medicare payments for consultations were substantially higher than for office visits of similar complexity that were commonly billed by primary care physicians (PCPs). In January 2010, Medicare eliminated consultation payments from the Part B Physician Fee Schedule and increased fees for office visits. The change was intended to be budget neutral because it would decrease payments to specialists but increase payments to PCPs, according to the study background.

Zirui Song, Ph.D., of Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues examined the relationship of this policy with spending, volume and coding for office visits in the first year of implementation. Researchers examined outpatient claims from 2007 through 2010 for more than 2.2 million Medicare beneficiaries with Medicare Supplemental coverage through large employers.

"Medicare's elimination of consultations was associated with a 6.5 percent increase in overall spending for outpatient encounters in 2012. This increased spending was explained by higher fees paid for office visits and by increased intensity of coding. Our results suggest that the policy did not achieve its goal of budget neutrality in the first year. However, it did appear to narrow the gap in Medicare payments for office encounters between PCPs and specialists," the authors comment.

Researchers note that an average of $10.20 more was spent per beneficiary per quarter on physician encounters after the policy (6.5 percent increase), but the total volume of physicians visits did not change significantly. The increase in spending was largely explained by hig
'/>"/>

Contact: David Cameron
david_cameron@hms.harvard.edu
617-432-0441
JAMA and Archives Journals
Source:Eurekalert

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2 3

Related medicine news :

1. Study Suggests Vaccine May Help Kids With Brain Cancer
2. Study reveals how cancer drug causes diabetic-like state
3. Coffee Drinking in Pregnancy Wont Lead to Sleepless Baby: Study
4. Lower GI problems plague many with rheumatoid arthritis, Mayo Clinic study finds
5. Veggies Like Broccoli, Cabbage May Help Fight Breast Cancer: Study
6. No Added Cancer Risk From Hip Replacement Materials: Study
7. Reported Decline in U.S. Pneumonia Deaths May Be False: Study
8. Early Study Finds Some Promise for Lung Cancer Vaccine
9. Narcissists Often Ace Job Interviews, Study Finds
10. Sexual objectification of female artists in music videos exists regardless of race, MU study finds
11. Soy may alleviate hot flashes in menopause, large-scale study finds
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:5/23/2013)... San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) May 23, 2013 ... community safety outreach program being tackled by the Safe ... its second Fullpower personal safety workshop for ... develops and teaches personal safety skills programs for people ... been telling us their experiences with street harassment for ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... Lake City, Utah (PRWEB) May 23, 2013 ... Chevreau, PhD, R.D., published an article today on Tatalou.com ... an illness-free vacation. , The article, titled “ How ... why it’s important to carry hand sanitizer, when it’s ... to watch out for seafood, the importance of staying ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... 23, 2013 Dimensional Insight, a ... announced today that Paul Comras, director of ... at the 2013 International Medical Users Software Exchange ... & Revenue Visibility from Your General Ledger.” The ... from 2:30-3:25 p.m. in Azalea 1 at the ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... Alexandria, VA (PRWEB) May 23, 2013 Memorial ... start of the summer season for many Americans. Across the ... the long weekend. NHPCO encourages Americans to reach out to ... in military service. , As the nation marks Memorial Day ... Serious injuries and the untimely deaths of brave service men ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... To better serve the architecture ... pleased to announce the release of its new ... space division products. Provided by Koroseal, a leader ... patterns and colors represent a sophisticated response to ... a team of Koroseal experts, Modernfold reviewed hundreds ...
Breaking Medicine News(10 mins):Health News:San Francisco Tenderloin Women Say “No!” to Street Harassment: Safe Passage Sponsors Kidpower Adult Safety Skills Workshops and Resources 2Health News:San Francisco Tenderloin Women Say “No!” to Street Harassment: Safe Passage Sponsors Kidpower Adult Safety Skills Workshops and Resources 3Health News:San Francisco Tenderloin Women Say “No!” to Street Harassment: Safe Passage Sponsors Kidpower Adult Safety Skills Workshops and Resources 4Health News:How to Stay Healthy While Traveling 2Health News:Dimensional Insight to Demonstrate How Hospitals Can Use Business Intelligence within MEDITECH Environments at 2013 International MUSE Conference 2Health News:Memorial Day: Make it a Time of Remembrance and Support 2Health News:Memorial Day: Make it a Time of Remembrance and Support 3Health News:Modernfold Debuts New Colors and Patterns for Space Division Products 2
... treatment if they donate eggs for controversial cloning research.// ... for ‘egg sharing' so as to advance work on human ... this scheme and pass on their spare eggs to the ... by almost half. , ,The researcher team from ...
... of Agriculture have indicated the enhanced nutritive benefits of ... ,According to scientists, watermelons are a production ... the parent plant, which slows down once the melon ... 70 degrees, contained almost 40% of lycopene and 50 ...
... than with most modern antibiotics, according to a recent ... from the University of Bonn, Germany in collaboration with ... that medihoney is a very effective treatment for several ... infected with multi-resistant bacteria within a few weeks. ...
... and Channel 7 Indian Television network has raised many questions ... professionals. A cleaning up operation is long overdue to rejuvenate ... World Medical Association in 1949 - I ... of humanity …. I will practice my profession with conscience ...
... to an article that was published in the July 24 ... the JAMA/Archives journals, states that women who take// combination of ... have an increased risk of breast cancer. ... their normal levels of the testosterone hormone would be likely ...
... drug that is widely used in heart failure. Some ... is contraindicated. //However a new analysis shows that the ... heart failure. ,"Contrary to conventional wisdom, digitalis ... advances our understanding of both digitalis, the oldest known ...
Cached Medicine News:Health News:IVF Price To Be Reduced If Women Opt For Egg Sharing Scheme 2Health News:IVF Price To Be Reduced If Women Opt For Egg Sharing Scheme 3Health News:Maimed Conscience and Maimed Beggars (Medical Ethics in India) – Part 2Health News:Maimed Conscience and Maimed Beggars (Medical Ethics in India) – Part 3Health News:Maimed Conscience and Maimed Beggars (Medical Ethics in India) – Part 4Health News:Study Indicates An Increased Risk Of Breast Cancer In Women Undertaking Estrogen and Testosterone Therapy 2Health News:Digitalis Could Be Safe In Diastolic Heart Failure 2Health News:Digitalis Could Be Safe In Diastolic Heart Failure 3
(Date:5/23/2013)... 2013  Inhibikase Therapeutics, Inc., an emerging leader ... will present new results on its antiviral program ... by the PML Consortium (composed of Pfizer, Bristol-Meyers ... is the causative agent of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy ... an extended release formulation, can clear JC polyomavirus ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... 23, 2013  Echo Pharma Acquisition Limited ("Royalty Pharma") ... the Acceptance Threshold from 90 percent to 50 percent ... in accordance with the terms of the Revised Offer ... Under the terms of the Increased Offer, ... ELN ) for $12.50 per share in cash. ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... , May 23, 2013   BioLife Solutions , ... proprietary clinical grade hypothermic storage and ... contract aseptic media manufacturer , today announced its ... Regenerative Medicine Congress 2013 this week in ... ) Dr. Aby J. Mathew, BioLife,s Senior ...
Breaking Medicine Technology:Inhibikase Therapeutics to present at Industry Conference on Drug-Induced Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) 2Royalty Pharma Reduces Acceptance Condition to 50% Plus One Share 2Royalty Pharma Reduces Acceptance Condition to 50% Plus One Share 3Royalty Pharma Reduces Acceptance Condition to 50% Plus One Share 4Royalty Pharma Reduces Acceptance Condition to 50% Plus One Share 5Royalty Pharma Reduces Acceptance Condition to 50% Plus One Share 6Royalty Pharma Reduces Acceptance Condition to 50% Plus One Share 7Royalty Pharma Reduces Acceptance Condition to 50% Plus One Share 8Royalty Pharma Reduces Acceptance Condition to 50% Plus One Share 9Royalty Pharma Reduces Acceptance Condition to 50% Plus One Share 10BioLife Solutions Announces Presentation at 8th World Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2BioLife Solutions Announces Presentation at 8th World Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine Congress 3
... /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- ShelfX, provider of revolutionary ... of the Vending Fridge. As the next-generation vending ... simple QR code scanner from their mobile phone ... refrigerated products. The Vending Fridge can be conveniently ...
... Wolf Medical Instruments Corporation celebrates 40 years of ... that spare patients the costs and recovery time ... http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120426/CG95191LOGO ) Richard Wolf endoscopes ... visualize and access elusive sites of disease or ...
Cached Medicine Technology:ShelfX Releases A Fridge That Knows What You Took 2Richard Wolf Medical Instruments Corporation: 40 Years of Innovation 2
Very compressive support for submental liposuction...
Applies pressure on scalp to stretch it before surgery...
Deluxe Abdominal Binders...
Ideal for abdominal, flank, hip and thigh procedures....
Medicine Products: