The growing consolidation of healthcare continues to reshape where and how patients receive care, raising concerns about rising costs, reduced competition, and the declining number of independent physician practices. In a recent discussion with Medical Economics, leaders from the U.S. Women’s Health Alliance (USWHA) emphasized the importance of preserving independent medicine and creating a more balanced healthcare environment in which private practices and hospitals can coexist and compete fairly. The conversation also highlighted proposed federal legislation aimed at narrowing reimbursement disparities and supporting the long-term sustainability of physician-owned practices.
Daniel Frier joined Jack Feltz, M.D., President of the USWHA, and Rebecca Herrero, M.D., MBA, FACOG, President and CEO of Women’s Health Associates of Southern Nevada, to discuss the challenges facing independent physicians and the policy reforms needed to strengthen patient access and affordability. Daniel explained that reimbursement disparities often make identical outpatient procedures substantially more expensive in hospital settings and can place independent practices at a competitive disadvantage.
“First of all, we’re not anti-hospital. Hospitals are a necessary part of the system. But the way that the reimbursement model has been crafted over the years, the same treatment that a physician can provide at a relatively modest level in terms of cost could cost five, 10, 12 times more in a hospital setting.”
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