Physician reaction to price changes: an episode-of-care analysis.
Physicians may respond to fee reductions in a variety of ways. This episode-of-care analysis examines the impact of surgical fee reductions (mandated by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Acts [OBRAs] of 1986-87) on the overall pattern and cost of health care services provided in association with the surgical procedure itself. The study focuses on six procedure groups: cataract extractions; total hip replacement; total knee replacement; coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery; upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy; and prostatectomy. Only two of these procedures give significant evidence for the existence of a service volume offset to the fee reductions.
Lee
A J
AJ
Health Economics Research, Inc., Waltham, MA 02154, USA.
Mitchell
J B
JB
D003625:Data Collection; D017050:Episode of Care; D005245:Fee Schedules / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D016345:Medicare Part B / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015895:Relative Value Scales; D013043:Specialties, Surgical / Q000191:economics; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States