Doctor Self-Referrals Part of Health-Care Cost Trend - washingtonpost.com

Doctor Self-Referrals Part of Health-Care Cost Trend - washingtonpost.com:

"In August 2005, doctors at Urological Associates, a medical practice on the Iowa-Illinois border, ordered nine CT scans for patients covered by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance. In September that year, they ordered eight. But then the numbers rose steeply. The urologists ordered 35 scans in October, 41 in November and 55 in December. Within seven months, they were ordering scans at a rate that had climbed more than 700 percent.

"The increase came in the months after the urologists bought their own CT scanner, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post. Instead of referring patients to radiologists, the doctors started conducting their own imaging -- and drawing insurance reimbursements for each of those patients."

It is clear some oxen have to be gored, or at least hobbled, to "bend the curve." Let's start being explicit about where to do this. Private insurers, over-utilizing physicians, drug and equipment manufacturers and suppliers. Let's start the hard discussions, please.

Sphere: Related Content