San Francisco, Calif.—Although the new U.S. health care law does not specifically alter the current fee-for-service payment structure, changes to how physicians and hospitals will be reimbursed for services are under construction. These changes are reflected by the growing focus on the development and implementation of quality improvement and physician and institutional performance measures on which reimbursement will increasingly be made, panelists said here on Sept. 11 at the 2011 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) Annual Meeting.
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October 2011“The payment landscape is shifting from fee-for-service to fee-for-value, with value defined in broad terms as higher quality care at a lower cost” said Jane Dillon, MD, vice chair of Advocate Physician Partners, a Chicago-area physician hospital organization. “Otolaryngologists need to recognize this reality and identify opportunities for participation in this paradigm shift.”
To meet the challenges posed by this shifting payment landscape, the AAO-HNS is working on behalf of its members to ensure appropriate reimbursement for services and new technologies and to advocate for reimbursement where questioned.