While 78.4 percent physicians in a nationwide study were dissatisfied with Medicare reimbursements, surgeons often disagreed with generalists on how it should be changed, based on their own economic interests, according to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
While 66.5 percent of generalists supported shifting payments from procedures to management and counseling services, only 16.6 percent of surgeons agreed with this. "As expected, those who conduct procedures were against it, and those who do more management and counseling were for it," the authors wrote.
Meanwhile, 69 percent of physicians from all specialties were opposed to bundled payments to physicians, hospitals and other providers; but among surgeons who appear to have the most experience with this strategy support for bundled payments fell to 15.2 percent.
Additionally, 79.8 percent of all physicians supported increasing pay for generalists, only 39.1 percent would agree to offset this increase with a 3 percent reduction in specialist reimbursement.
"Overall, physicians seem to be opposed to reforms that risk lowering their incomes," the authors wrote. "Thus, finding common ground among different specialties to reform physician reimbursement, reduce health care spending and improve health care quality will be difficult."
Read the Archives of Internal Medicine study on physician reimbursements.
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While 66.5 percent of generalists supported shifting payments from procedures to management and counseling services, only 16.6 percent of surgeons agreed with this. "As expected, those who conduct procedures were against it, and those who do more management and counseling were for it," the authors wrote.
Meanwhile, 69 percent of physicians from all specialties were opposed to bundled payments to physicians, hospitals and other providers; but among surgeons who appear to have the most experience with this strategy support for bundled payments fell to 15.2 percent.
Additionally, 79.8 percent of all physicians supported increasing pay for generalists, only 39.1 percent would agree to offset this increase with a 3 percent reduction in specialist reimbursement.
"Overall, physicians seem to be opposed to reforms that risk lowering their incomes," the authors wrote. "Thus, finding common ground among different specialties to reform physician reimbursement, reduce health care spending and improve health care quality will be difficult."
Read the Archives of Internal Medicine study on physician reimbursements.
- Physician-Hospital Alignment: Strategic Insights for Regional and Community Hospitals
- AMA Wants New Federal Panel to Propose Permanent Fee Fix to Congress
- 10 Tips to Creating a Physician-Led Integrated Care System With Advocate Health's Mark Shields