Study: Private equity pushes colonoscopy costs higher without improving care quality
Editor's Note Private equity ownership drives up colonoscopy prices without delivering better patient outcomes, according to a large retrospective analysis. While independent and private equity-acquired gastroenterology practices show no significant difference in quality, prices at private equity practices rose sharply, especially in highly consolidated markets. The study, published in JAMA…
Oregon tightens control on physician practice ownership, indirectly impacting office-based surgery
Editor's Note Oregon has enacted the nation’s strictest law yet to curb corporate control of physician practices, a move that could indirectly affect office-based surgery (OBS) centers structured as medical clinics. As reported by Modern Healthcare on June 13, the new law reinforces the state’s corporate practice of medicine doctrine…
Health systems retreat from partnerships to control costs, refocus on core care
Editor's Note Some health systems are cutting ties with long-standing partners to conserve resources, brace for financial uncertainty, and prioritize core clinical services, Modern Healthcare June 26 reports. With looming federal reimbursement cuts and increasing economic pressures, providers are reassessing the value and sustainability of affiliations formed during more stable…
Five strategic paths help GI practice owners navigate rising costs, consolidation
Editor's Note Independent gastroenterology (GI) practices face mounting pressures from inflation, labor shortages, and regulatory burden, but five distinct strategies offer owners a path forward, Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News May 23 reports. As detailed in the article, GI practices—especially smaller ones, which make up the majority of the approximately 2,100…
Health system mega-mergers fall short amid cost, quality concerns
Editor's Note Chasing size through mega-mergers no longer guarantees sustainability for health systems, according to an April 15 article in HealthLeaders. Many of the nation’s largest systems are reporting significant losses, while emerging evidence links consolidation to stagnant or declining care quality and worsening workforce challenges. The article highlights financial…
HHS report highlights cost, access, quality concerns with private equity in healthcare
Editor's Note Growing consolidation and private equity investments in healthcare are driving up costs, reducing access, and raising quality concerns, according to a new report from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). According to HHS’ January 15 announcement, the report stems from a tri-agency effort by HHS, the…
Session: Alternative options to funding—Doing more with less
Editor's Note In this OR Manager Conference session focusing on alternative funding options for capital acquisition and related consumables, Steve Spring, BA, executive finance director at Massachusetts General Hospital, outlined various strategies and considerations for managing high-value capital equipment purchases. A core challenge discussed was balancing surgeon demands for advanced…
Vertical integration reshaping US healthcare: Impact on cost, access
Editor's Note A growing trend toward vertical integration in US healthcare is leading to significant changes in how care is delivered and billed, according to a new study by Brown University researchers published on September 16. Vertical integration refers to the consolidation of physician-owned practices into larger health systems, a…
Vertical integration favors HOPDs over ASCs
Editor's Note Medicare and patient out-of-pocket costs are rising as vertical integration results in more procedures moving to hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) than to ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs), Becker’s ASC Review reported on August 8. The article summarizes a study published July 25 in Science Direct. Described as "physician vertical…
Trends in ASC industry as highlighted by one expert
Editor's Note As outpatient surgery continues to gain popularity and the need to cut costs persists, Becker’s ASC Review sat down with Jim Freund, managing partner for Physician Transaction Advisors, to discuss the below three key trends in the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) industry, per Becker’s July 18 article. Number…
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