ASA survey: Who bears responsibility for reducing healthcare costs?

Editor's Note

A survey of members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists on the level of responsibility they perceive stakeholders to have in reducing the cost of healthcare and perioperative care delivery found:

• physicians bear “major responsibility” (38%)
• physicians bear “some responsibility” (58%)
• physicians bear “no responsibility” (4%)
• hospitals bear “major responsibility” (57%)
• insurance companies bear “major responsibility” (54%).

Members surveyed also were not enthusiastic about financial reforms such as cuts to Medicare payments.

BACKGROUND: The perceptions of anesthesiologists of US health care finance reform are germane to informing the future of our specialty. For this reason, we sought to assess anesthesiologists' views of their own importance in cost-reduction strategies. In addition, respondents were asked a series ...