As hospitals acquire physician practices, there has been increased attention to the effects on commercial healthcare prices. In a piece in Becker’s ASC Review [1], Laura Dyrda of Becker’s Healthcare featured findings from J. Michael McWilliams’s HCFO-funded study, which found [2] that hospital acquisition of physician practices drives up costs. In his ongoing HCFO-funded study [3], McWilliams and colleagues are estimating the impact of physician concentration, physician-hospital integration, and accountable care organization (ACOs) on prices paid for physician services.
Links:
[1] http://www.beckersasc.com/asc-transactions-and-valuation-issues/5-things-to-know-on-the-affect-of-physician-hospital-integration.html
[2] http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2463591
[3] http://www.hcfo.org/grants/price-data-solicitation-grant-effects-physician-concentration-physician-hospital-integration-
[4] http://www.hcfo.org/topics/coordination-care
[5] http://www.hcfo.org/topics/legal-and-regulatory-environment
[6] http://www.hcfo.org/topics/organization-and-supply-care
[7] http://www.hcfo.org/topics/price-data-and-transparency
[8] http://www.hcfo.org/topics/provider-payment-and-behavior