A coalition of medical specialties said Tuesday that it supports a bill to repeal the controversial cost-control board in President Obama's signature healthcare law.
Join Scoop.it for Free
Share ideas that matter on the social web and experience
the benefits of curating the world's best content.
I don't have a Facebook, a Twitter or a LinkedIn account
Already have an account: Login
Bringing into focus a clear and distinct view of the rest of this decade in Texas health care. Offering a sharp perception of what lies ahead and what we must change to keep us all healthy.
Curated by
Texas Medical Association
|
Scooped by Texas Medical Association onto Healthy Vision 2020 |
Scoop.it!
No comment yet.
Sign up to comment
Delete the scoop?
Are you sure you want to delete this scoop?
Yes
 Your new post is loading...
Scoop.it!
"Independent doctors, before you hit the panic button and become employed by a hospital, take a deep breath. There are alternative options out there.Those alternatives and what it takes to make those options successful were discussed during a late afternoon session on Tuesday at MGMA-ACPME’s annual conference in San Antonio."
TMA Says:
In a changing and uncertain environment, many physicians will seek employment opportunities as a way to deal with unpredictable and oftentimes inadequate payment models and the increasing – and sometimes overwhelming – administrative burden of running their own practices. At the same time, hospitals and other nonphysician-owned entities will continue to seek to employ physicians to consolidate market share and capture the payment streams for physician services and for the ancillary services that physicians order.
Quality measures must take into account how sick patients are and what associated diseases they have. Incentives focused primarily on cost per member will reward physicians and providers for treating only the healthiest patients. The poorest and sickest likely will drag down the “efficiency” ratings so that their physicians and providers become ranked as “lower performing.”
Protecting the patient-physician relationship lies at the heart of Texas’ legal doctrine banning the corporate practice of medicine. Patients must be able to trust that the tests and treatments their physicians recommend are tailored to their individual medical needs and are shielded from improper lay influence. Each patient encounter must be governed by the ethics of the medical profession, the integration and application of advancing medical knowledge, and the partnership with the patient in making good decisions for that patient’s health.
At TMA’s urging, the 2011 Texas Legislature passed ground-breaking new laws that protect patients and their physicians’ ability to exercise independent medical judgment free from interference by a hospital administrator or corporate officer. At the same time, we preserved Texas’ ban on the corporate practice of medicine with several carefully delineated expansions for physician employment. These included strong protections for physicians employed by or associated with hospital-controlled health care corporations, rural county hospital districts, large urban hospital districts, and the newly established Texas health care collaboratives. Texas is the first state in the country to take the critical step of protecting clinical autonomy. The laws place responsibility for monitoring and enforcement with the Texas Medical Board, which is the agency responsible for upholding the standards of medical practice in the state.
Over the course of the coming decade, patients and physicians will see many changes in the organization and delivery of medical services. New payment models likely will drive new practice arrangements. Many physicians will continue to practice independently, some will partner in small to large groups, and others will join larger single or multispecialty groups. Payment models for physicians’ services will continue to be a mix of fee-for-service, global or capitated payments, and salary arrangements for physicians who choose employment.
Regardless of the applicable practice arrangement, TMA and its member physicians remain committed to protecting the clinical autonomy of physicians and the primacy of the patient-physician relationship. Delete the scoop?
Are you sure you want to delete this scoop?
Yes
|
Repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board
Replacing the SGR will be meaningless unless Congress also repeals the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). Leaving both in place would create cruel and unusual double jeopardy for physicians who want to care for senior citizens and military families. The PPACA created a 15-member IPAB to recommend measures to reduce Medicare spending if costs exceed targeted growth rates set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
The PPACA prohibits the panel from recommending changes to eligibility, coverage, or other factors that drive utilization of health care services. This means the board will have only one option — cut payments. And through 2019, hospitals, Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare prescription drug plans, and health care professionals other than physicians are exempt.102 This means the board will have only one option — cut Medicare payments to physicians. Cuts the board recommends will automatically take effect, unless Congress acts to suspend them.
As we’ve seen with the SGR, it’s obvious that cuts the IPAB enacts will devastate Medicare beneficiaries’ ability to find physicians to care for them. The issue of Medicare spending for 3.8 million Texans is too important to be left in the hands of an unaccountable board that makes decisions based solely on cost.