Editor's Note Medicare patients treated in hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) present with greater socioeconomic and clinical complexity than peers seen in independent physician offices, including higher prior emergency department (ED) visits and inpatient use. According to an American Hospital Association (AHA) study conducted by KNG Health Consulting and published on…
Editor's Note Hospital-employed physicians are least likely and private equity (PE)-affiliated physicians most likely to provide care in lower-cost ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) or offices, according to a study published July 24 in the Journal of Market Access & Health Policy These care site differences translate to substantial variation in…
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…
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…