Orlando Sentinel tracks hospitals’ buying of private practices

Photo by Flickr user Laura4Smith

While you’re waiting for the next press release about your local health system “welcoming” a private practice into its folds, read Marni Jameson’s Orlando Sentinel story about hospitals taking over doctors’ practices.

She writes that hospitals buy the practices to “secure more patients and profits” as doctors admit patients and send patients for tests. Her story says, “In its March report to Congress, Medcap, a government agency that analyzes Medicare policy, found that the cost for a basic doctor visit nearly doubled once a practice was purchased.”

Marni says the story generated from a letter a cancer center sent patients about changing from a physician group to a hospital group. She learned that the doctors were already employed by the hospital, but she wanted to pursue the story.

“I spent most of my time synthesizing an enormous amount of information out there,” she says. “It’s important to say what’s true so, …  I took the time to sift it out.”

Marni Jameson

The biggest challenge will be calculating how many local doctors are hospital employees, Marni says. She recommends just calling.

She says to find specialty groups on hospital websites and call the doctors to ask whether they’re employees or independent. She warns that some doctors are reluctant to talk.

Although hospitals usually cover the practices’ overhead expenses, she says to ask about support staff at the practices. Marni says she received an email from one employee who says her pay was cut after the hospital acquired the practice. She also recommends finding patients who were treated before and after a practice was purchased. If it’s for the same medical condition, you can compare the costs.