December 10, 2008

This week CMS offered a glimpse at a possible replacement for Medicare?s fee-for-service physician reimbursement system, and so far, there are far more questions than answers about what physicians can expect. +

Owned primary care practices have long been a financial backwater as far as hospitals were concerned—but one they couldn't do without. Writing off losses was seen as a necessary evil as primary care practices drove referrals to much more profitable inpatient episodes of care. Despite that, primary care has more recently become a land-grab as smart hospitals look to own physician practices. +

The whole premise behind promoting medical travel to U.S. consumers is founded on the potential for significant cost savings. But if consumers don?t realize huge cost savings, few will consider it. +