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Hospital Outpatient Prices Sharply Higher than Docs', Study Finds
Hospital outpatient prices for standard blood tests, cancer screening and other services varied widely and were sharply higher, on average, than prices charged by ambulatory clinics and independent doctors, an analysis of autoworker health-plan spending across 18 cities has found.
Hospital outpatient prices for standard blood tests, cancer screening and other services varied widely and were sharply higher, on average, than prices charged by ambulatory clinics and independent doctors, an analysis of autoworker health-plan spending across 18 cities has found.
The study, based on 2011 health plan spending by Chrysler, Ford Motor Co., General Motors and the United Auto Workers, uncovered whopping price disparities for care that accounted for $68 million in claims that year, including blood work to test cholesterol levels, colonoscopies and physical therapy.
Results, published by the National Institute for Health Care Reform, found hospital outpatient prices varied across 18 cities. Notably, hospital outpatient prices also varied widely among competitors within the same city. That suggests the force behind high hospital prices may be more than high overhead, said James Reschovsky, a senior fellow with Mathematica Policy Research and co-author of the study.
Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/1mwHICO
Source: Modern Healthcare
Varied Access: The Pharmacogenetic Testing Coverage Divide
February 18th 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the author of a study published in the February 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® to uncover significant differences in coverage decisions for pharmacogenetic tests across major US health insurers.
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Texas Oncology to Roll Out Canopy for ePROs After Head-to-Head Pilot
March 18th 2025Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, executive vice president of Public Policy and Strategy for Texas Oncology, said the practice received positive feedback from nurses and patients during a pilot that concluded in February.
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For Neuromuscular Disease Community, an Era of Opportunities and Threats
March 17th 2025Robert Califf, MD, former commissioner of the FDA, delivered a keynote address at the 2025 Muscular Dystrophy Association Clinical & Scientific Conference that highlighted the enormous opportunities for progress in neuromuscular disease care amid a changing policy environment.
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