HCFO-Funded Study Featured in New York Times Article on Budget Deal

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Congress recently approved a budget agreement that includes a provision to change how Medicare reimburses physicians owned by hospitals—in part a response to the recent increasing trend in physician-hospital integration. The New York Times Upshot reports that the budget deal would prevent future physician practices from receiving higher payments by merging with a hospital. The piece features findings from a recent JAMA Internal Medicine article from HCFO grantee J. Michael McWilliams, M.D., Ph.D., Harvard Medical School, that found physician-hospital integration is associated with higher prices and spending for outpatient care. In his HCFO-funded study, McWilliams is examining the impact of physician concentration, physician-hospital integration, and accountable care organizations on prices paid for physician services.