Physician Practices: Background, Organization, and Market Consolidation

Congress is playing dual roles regarding the consolidation. On the one hand, the ACA was designed, in part, to prompt affiliation among doctors and other health care providers in order to reduce fragmentation and help control government and private health spending. At the same time, lawmakers are monitoring the health care system for signs that consolidation is having negative effects on consumer access, prices, and competition. The health care sector went through a similar round of restructuring during the 1980s and 1990s, including mergers and acquisitions of physician practices, ultimately prompting a backlash from some consumers who complained they were being blocked from specialists and procedures. The ACA envisions a different system of "patient-centered care," where doctors and other providers are given incentives to improve quality and efficiency, rather than to limit services. Still, it remains to be seen how the current round of changes will play out as physicians and other providers form larger organizations. This report provides background on factors contributing to changes in physician practice organization, including physician supply, sources of revenue, operating costs, and government incentives. It also examines the different types of integration, the legal intricacies of affiliation, and the possible implications for consumer and federal policy.


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#	File Name	Document Date	Order ID:	Number of Pages	Price
1	R42880.pdf	Jan 02, 2013	R42880	24	$29.95	Add to Cart

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