Op-Ed

Why does the same medical procedure or diagnostic test come with dramatically different price tags depending on where a patient receives it? Across Michigan, that’s not a theoretical question. It’s a daily reality ― and a major reason health care has become so expensive. A routine outpatient service performed in a hospital-owned facility can cost […]

Patients across New York are struggling to afford medical care. Rising hospital costs are a big reason why. For years, Medicare and other insurers have paid hospital-owned facilities far more than independent physician practices for identical care. If lawmakers are serious about tackling healthcare affordability, they need to address this discrepancy. A routine procedure performed

Two of America’s largest health insurers are trying their hand at a different profession — the practice of medicine. Aetna and Cigna have announced that they may unilaterally “downcode” some types of care — and pay physicians less than what patients’ conditions would ordinarily warrant.

Private physician practices are disappearing. In their place, hospitals and insurers are employing physicians across most markets, threatening the traditional independent private practice model so many physicians and patients prefer. Read the full article at Medical Economics

The California legislature just passed a bill that could make operating an independent physician practice much more difficult. Read More at Capitol Weekly

Imagine ordering your favorite entree at the neighborhood restaurant you’ve gone to for years. It’s the same dish, off the same menu, delivered by the same server. But suddenly, it costs 800% more – because the place just got new owners. Few diners would accept such naked price-gouging. And few restaurants could stay in business

Sixty of Louisiana’s 64 parishes are classified as “health professional shortage areas” by the federal government, meaning there are over 3,500 people for every one provider. The shortages are particularly severe in specialties such as geriatric and preventive medicine that serve the most vulnerable Louisianans. Our state’s powerful congressional delegation has the chance to address

Kentucky’s population is growing. The Bluegrass State gained roughly 83,000 residents between 2020 and 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and is now home to nearly 4.6 million people. Yet the number of doctors in our state is shrinking. As of 2022 — the most recent year for which data is available — Kentucky

The massive budget reconciliation bill currently making its way through Congress would, among other things, raise reimbursement for physicians under Medicare next year. That’s good news for patients. Many of their physicians have been leaving private practice, thanks in no small part to declining reimbursement from Medicare. The public program has cut pay for independent

Independent physicians are disappearing. Their practices are being subsumed by hospital systems and insurance companies. That leaves patients with fewer choices in where they can receive care and higher out-of-pocket costs. In the past five years, hospitals have acquired 7,600 independent physician practices. A majority of physicians — 55% — are employed by hospitals or