Three Hospital Systems Settle Cases Alleging Pressure on Docs to Refer Patients Within the System

[HuckleB]

The Corporate Physicians' Dilemma - Three Hospital Systems Settle Cases Alleging Pressure on Employed Physicians to Refer Patients Within the System
http://hcrenewal.blogspot.ca/2015/10/the-corporate-physicians-dilemma-three.html

"Physicians are sworn to provide the best possible care to each individual patient. Yet in the US, physicians increasingly practice as employees of large organizations, sometime for-profit corporations. Physicians may be in a bind when their bosses pressure them to make patient level decisions so as to increase revenue, regardless of their effects on the patients.

In particular, physicians' oaths may suggest that patients who require referrals for consultation, diagnosis or treatment should go to the professionals and facilities best suited to their particular problems. However, physicians bosses may want physicians to refer patients within their organizations.

Three recent cases illustrate this sort of bind for corporate physicians. All cases involved large monetary settlements by hospital systems of allegations that they paid physicians incentives to refer patients within the system, apparently without regard to patients' needs. They are discussed in roughly chronological order of media coverage.

..."

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A good read, but, of course, it's only part of the picture.

[notadmblnd]

1. I'll have to discuss this with my primary care physician

On two occasions she has questioned me as to why I went to urgent care outside of their system. She had told me when I first began going to her that I should use urgent care facilities within their systems if necessary. Last time she asked- I told her that I went but they were closed. I said apparently their health care system doesn't deem it profitable enough to keep their urgent care facilities open past 6 pm.

[HuckleB]

2. Interesting. I'd be curious to hear that answer, too.

It could also be comfort zone stuff, if doctors know other doctors, but...

Take care.