When was the last time you really looked at your doctor’s bill line by line? Did you happen to run across a facility fee charge? Facility fees are a hospital’s charges for outpatient or doctor services provided in an office not owned by that doctor. The out-of-pocket amount can be costly. So, what, if anything, […]
Facility fees can skyrocket your medical bills. Here’s what you can do Read More »
When he completed his fellowship at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Moshe Chasky, MD, joined a small five-person practice that rented space from the city’s Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia. The arrangement seemed to work well for the hospital and the small practice, which remained independent. Within 10 years, the hospital sought to buy the
Oncology Mergers Are on the Rise. How Can Independent Practices Survive? Read More »
Hospitals are snapping up physician practices. Between 2019 and 2022, they acquired nearly 5,000 of them. More than half of doctors nationwide now work for hospitals and health systems. My colleagues and I do not want to capitulate to such hospital-driven consolidation, and we’re confident our patients don’t want more care driven into the hospital
Dr. David Eagle: Consolidated health care hurts New York patients Read More »
As the cost of cancer treatment continues to rise for both patients and providers, independent clinicians are being forced to consolidate with larger health care systems to stay financially afloat. However, some clinicians believe this trend has negatively affected their ability to provide patients with timely, personalized care. To combat the rising costs and avoid
Hospitals have been on a shopping spree. In the last two years, they’ve acquired nearly 3,000 physician practices, according to new research from the Physicians Advocacy Institute. Some physicians — myself included — prefer to remain independent. We have found that only in an independent setting can we deliver the kind of patient-centered care that drew
Dr. George Dickstein: Don’t regulate independent physicians off map Read More »
Running an independent physician practice, once the norm for doctors, has become increasingly difficult. The problem isn’t medical. It’s the growing operational and financial burden independent practices face. Read the full article at Colorado Politics
Dr. Jeffrey Ferguson: How to ensure independent medical practices thrive in Colorado Read More »
As healthcare has evolved over time, so has the prevalence of private physician practices. What was once a common occurrence for patients—heading to the family-owned doctor’s office—has in many cases been replaced by the experience of seeking care at a network of physicians employed by large organizations. Read the full article at HealthLeaders
Fending Off Extinction: 3 Ways To Take Your Physician Practice Back Read More »
Corporate juggernauts are coming to dominate the U.S. health care system. UnitedHealth now employs 10 percent of all physicians in the United States. Hospitals signed up more than 58,000 new physician employees and acquired nearly 5,000 private practices between 2019 and the end of 2021. Amazon and CVS are investing heavily in adding doctors to
A new physician-led national advocacy organization seeks to empower independent medical practices during major consolidation among hospitals and payers. The American Independent Medical Practice Association (AIMPA) aims to level the playing field regarding reimbursement for independent practitioners and that of hospitals. AIMPA was launched in October of 2023 with approximately 4000 doctors and has since doubled its
Advocacy Organization President: Private Practice Is Becoming a Niche Read More »