Medicare Physician Payment Data: Is This Transparency?
Authors: Eric M. Horwitz, David S. Weinberg
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2014)

Ideas and Opinions19 August 2014Medicare Physician Payment Data: Is This Transparency?Eric M. Horwitz, MD and David S. Weinberg, MD, MScEric M. Horwitz, MDFrom Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Search for more papers by this author and David S. Weinberg, MD, MScFrom Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M14-0913 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail After reading the New York Times report of recently released data on Medicare payments to physicians (1), we used the accompanying “interactive tool” to see our own numbers and those of our colleagues. What we found confused and concerned us more than it clarified. Transparency in health care is greatly needed. The striking variation in physician payments makes these data both important and illustrative. More care is not necessarily better, but neither is less. Wide variations invite thoughtful discussion of how best to allocate finite resources. The amount of money in question and the potential for misuse demands it. However, ...References1. Abelson R, Cohen S. Sliver of Medicare doctors get big share of payouts. New York Times. 9 April 2014:A1 Accessed at www.nytimes.com/2014/04/09/business/sliver-of-medicare-doctors-get-big-share-of-payouts.html on 26 May 2014. Google Scholar2. How much Medicare pays for your doctor's care. New York Times. Accessed at www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/04/09/health/medicare-doctor-database.html on 26 May 2014. Google Scholar3. Cooperberg MR, Birkmeyer JD, Litwin MS. Defining high quality health care. Urol Oncol. 2009;27:411-6. [PMID: 19573771] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Halm EA, Lee C, Chassin MR. Is volume related to outcome in health care? A systematic review and methodologic critique of the literature. Ann Intern Med. 2002;137:511-20. [PMID: 12230353] LinkGoogle Scholar5. Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. A Data Book: Health Care Spending and the Medicare Program. Washington, DC: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission; 2013. Accessed at www.medpac.gov/documents/Jun13DataBookEntireReport.pdf on 26 May 2014. Google Scholar6. Fisher ES, Bynum JP, Skinner JS. Slowing the growth of health care costs—lessons from regional variation. N Engl J Med. 2009;360:849-52. [PMID: 19246356] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Committee on Geographic Variation in Health Care Spending and Promotion of High-Value Care Board on Health Care Services; Newhouse JP, Garber AM, Graham RP, McCoy MA, Mancher M, Kibria A, eds. Interim Report of the Committee on Geographic Variation in Health Care Spending and Promotion of High-Value Care. Washington, DC: National Academies Pr; 2013. Accessed at www.iom.edu/Reports/2013/Geographic-Variation-in-Health-Care-Spending-and-Promotion-of-High-Care-Value-Interim-Report.aspx on 2 May 2014. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Eric M. Horwitz, MD; David S. Weinberg, MD, MScAffiliations: From Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Disclosures: Authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M14-0913.Corresponding Author: Eric M. Horwitz, MD, Department of Radiation Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111; e-mail, eric.[email protected]edu.Current Author Addresses: Dr. Horwitz: Department of Radiation Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111.Dr. Weinberg: Department of Medicine, Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111.Author Contributions: Conception and design: E.M. Horwitz, D.S. Weinberg.Analysis and interpretation of the data: E.M. Horwitz.Drafting of the article: E.M. Horwitz, D.S. Weinberg.Critical revision of the article for important intellectual content: E.M. Horwitz, D.S. Weinberg.Final approval of the article: E.M. Horwitz, D.S. Weinberg.Administrative, technical, or logistic support: D.S. Weinberg.Collection and assembly of data: D.S. Weinberg.This article was published online first at www.annals.org on 10 June 2014. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byToward understanding variations in price and billing in US healthcare services: A predictive analytics approachDiscovering healthcare provider behavior patterns through the lens of Medicare excess chargeVariations in payment patterns for surgical care in the centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 19 August 2014Volume 161, Issue 4Page: 291-292KeywordsDrug policyDrugsHealth careHealth care facilitiesMacular degenerationMedicareQuality indicatorsQuality of lifeRadiation therapyResearch laboratories ePublished: 19 August 2014 Issue Published: 19 August 2014 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2014 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...