Philadelphia

Uninsured violence victims costly for Philadelphia hospitals

Abby Christopher — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:54:42 -0400

Nearly 1,000 gunshot victims were treated in Philadelphia's hospitals in 2006. A large percentage of these patients were uninsured. Roughly a third relied on public health services such as Medicaid to get treatment. Such medical assistance programs reimburse hospitals about 85 percent for the cost of care, but hospitals have to absorb that rest of the bill. According to data released by the Delaware Valley Healthcare Council of the Hospital and Health System Association of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia's five Level 1 adult and pediatric trauma centers in the Philadelphia area collectively lose an estimated $8 million annually in caring for victims of violence.

As more of these victims seek treatment at the city's hospitals, it becomes harder for the medical facilities to stay solvent. A number of area hospitals can't keep up with the financial demands of treating patients with inadequate health insurance coverage. Many are losing a lot of money every year to violent crime.

With all this, Philadelphia has inadvertently become a military training hub. Doctors about to serve on medial teams in Iraq and Afghanistan visit Philadelphia's hospitals to learn how to best treat soldiers with violent injuries. Philadelphia doctors treated 786 gunshot wounds in 2004, 883 in 2005 and 987 in 2006.

For more information:
- read the full Philadelphia Inquirer story

ALSO NOTED: PA schedules hearings on Independence/Highmark merger; Medical college group urges caution with pharma tech freebie

Tue, 13 May 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> More than a year after the deal was proposed, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department has (finally) scheduled hearings to review public comments on the proposed merger of Independence Blue Cross of Philadelphia and Highmark Inc. Article

> A group representing U.S. medical colleges argues that while the pharmaceutical industry's technology gifts aren't getting as much attention as other freebies, they should be. FierceHealthIT

> Darn that pesky Public Citizen--its members get around. One day it's calling for the withdrawal of the Ortho Evra patch from the market, and now leading light Sidney Wolfe, M.D. is helping the FDA scrutinize expanded use of the painkiller, Fentora. FiercePharma

> The former CEO of Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital has filed a suit alleging that the hospital's chairwoman set up his firing so she could take his job. Article

And Finally... Clearly, he was overcome by the Dark Side of the Booze. Article

Trend: Young MDs seek new practice options

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:59:55 -0400

Historically, doctors in training have been encouraged to see medicine as their entire life, not just something they do--and to make themselves available around the clock for patient care. But this doesn't sit well with the emerging generation of new physicians, who are intent on balancing their work with family life and personal interests.

To address their concerns, newly-minted physicians are turning to options like being a hospitalist, offering a more predictable schedule and a fixed salary. Historically, hospitalists have largely been primary care physicians, but today other specialists, such as OB-GYN physicians, are going on staff at hospitals, too. They're also showing more interest in specialties, like dermatology, which don't force them to remain on call, notes The Wall Street Journal.

Meanwhile, group practices are being forced to change how they do business. For example, the OB-GYNs employed by Philadelphia's Albert Einstein Healthcare Network only deliver babies during three 24-hour shifts in the hospital each month, providing office care the rest of the time. Another example is San Francisco-based primary-care practice 1Life, whose physicians work four days a week for eight or nine hours a day and don't follow patients to the hospital.

To find out more about this trend:
- read this article in The Wall Street Journal

Related Articles:
Physician now have many choices
Trend: Hospitalist ranks exploding
Hospitalist group predicts presence will double by end of decade

Study: MDs refer profitable patients to their ASCs

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:59:57 -0400

This isn't too surprising, but it's not something policymakers will like, either. A new study of referral patterns in the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh metros suggests that physicians who are high-admitters to physician-owned ASCs send far more privately insured patients to those facilities, while sending Medicaid enrollees to hospital outpatient departments, in many cases. The study, published in Health Affairs and completed through the University of Chicago, looks at whether having a stake in an ASC affects the types of patients a physician would refer to a facility. Research found that for the top 50 percent of physician referrals to ASCs, 45 percent of Medicaid patients were sent to hospital outpatient departments, while 92 percent of privately insured patients were sent to physician-owned ASCs.

Folks, these numbers seem to pretty much clinch the argument that ASCs keep the best-paying patients for themselves, while blocking the poor from getting whatever benefits the specialized ASC services might offer. Looks like this could kick off some heated discussions on Capitol Hill.

To get more information on the study:
- read the Health Affairs report
- read this Modern Healthcare article (reg. req.)

Related Articles:
NY accuses ASCs of collecting overpayments. Reports
Number of PA ASCs keeps growing, but profits level off. Report
CMS updating rules for ASC Medicare participation. Report
Doctors sue HealthSouth over surgery centers sale. Report
Profits way up for Penn ASCs. Report
Georgia physicians battle for looser ASC regs. Report
Ohio bill would force hospitals to have 24x7 EDs. Report