Health insurers in the Albany, New York-area oppose state legislation that would allow physicians to collectively bargain for payor contracts as part of a three-year demonstration project, according to a Business Review report.
The bill would allow independent healthcare providers to band together and negotiate contracts with insurers under state supervision. Supporters of the bill say it is intended to "restore fairness to the contracting process" between providers and large managed care plans, but previous attempts to allow statewide, collective bargaining have been rejected. This bill is the first involving a demo project to test the idea.
An executive with Capital District Physicians' Health Plan said the bill is "anti-consumer because the sole purpose of collective bargaining would be to raise fees," according to the report. He also said physicians have a good bargaining position and a collaborative environment "in this area" and that the bill could erase that.
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The bill would allow independent healthcare providers to band together and negotiate contracts with insurers under state supervision. Supporters of the bill say it is intended to "restore fairness to the contracting process" between providers and large managed care plans, but previous attempts to allow statewide, collective bargaining have been rejected. This bill is the first involving a demo project to test the idea.
An executive with Capital District Physicians' Health Plan said the bill is "anti-consumer because the sole purpose of collective bargaining would be to raise fees," according to the report. He also said physicians have a good bargaining position and a collaborative environment "in this area" and that the bill could erase that.
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