Key Trends Facing Private Practice Physicians in the New Year Identified

Physicians in private practice have their non-clinical work cut out for them in the year ahead. Results of the ACA changes, the launch of the federal and state health insurance market places, demanding paperwork burdens, and coming changes in coding requirements and health IT are all issues facing the physicians in 2014.

Among the key trends that seen to be bearing down on practicing physicians are:

 –  Rapidly increasing medical consolidation seen across health care systems and insurance companies alike.

–   The difficulty physicians experience while trying to negotiate favorable terms with payers because  the total number of health insurers has been decreasing for some time as a result of industry consolidation.

–   Physicians are continuing to struggle with a growing regulatory paper work burden.

In addition the recent launch of the health insurance exchanges is already driving high levels of confusion among patients, physicians and employers.

Coping with minimal education and support on the new health insurance exchanges from the government, many private practice physicians are unsure of how these new insurance policies will affect their practices.

Managed Care Information Center ‘Store’ New Web Address

Our health and managed care databases
store page has a new web address following
our migration to our new,improved web site
at healthresourcesonline.com.

The store is protected for security with “Secure Socket Layer” or SSL to keep your transactions secure.

Because there are so many links to our directory – databases and management resources up on the Web we think it is a good idea to give you the new location link:   https://www.healthresourcesonline.com/payer-provider-data.html

Free Slide Presentation Provides Details About the National Directory of Physician Organizations Database

A free slide presentation with details about the National Directory of Physician Organizations Database is available.

Interest in physician organizations has grown in recent years due to a number of factors and they have taken on new importance and energy.

The physician organization database includes details and contact information on independent practice associations (IPAs), physician hospital organizations (PHOs) large multi-specialty medical groups, primary care networks and practice management services organizations.

The database is researched and produced the Managed care Information Center (MCIC.)

To receive your free, no obligation copy of the National Directory of Physician Organizations Database slide presentation please click on this link now: National Directory of Physician Organizations Database Free Slide Presentation

Physician Organizations – IPAs – PHOs Can Improve Care Management For Smaller Practices, New Study Finds

On average, physician practices participating in independent practice associations (IPAs) and physician hospital organizations (PHOs) provided nearly three times as many care management processes for patients with chronic conditions as nonparticipating practices did, the results of a new study found.

The difference is dramatic – 10.45 percent versus 3.85 percent, found the researchers. And, half of these processes were provided only by IPAs or PHOs.

All the recent initiatives surrounding physician practice including pay-for-performance, public reporting, and accountable care organization programs places pressure on physicians to use health information technology and organized care management processes to improve the care they provide.

The problem is physician practices that are not large may lack the resources and size to implement such processes.

The researchers said they used data from a “unique national survey of 1,164 practices with fewer than twenty physicians to provide the first information available on the extent to which IPAs and PHOs might make it possible for these smaller practices to share resources to improve care.”

Nearly a quarter of the practices participated in an IPA or a PHO that accounted for a significant proportion of their patients, the study found.

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IPA-PHO Database – The National Directory of Physician Organizations profiles more than 1,300 physician organizations. Listings include: physician hospital organizations (PHOs), independent practice associations (IPAs), multi-specialty medical groups, physician primary care networks, and management service organizations (MSOs) The National Directory of Physician Organizations

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These organizations may provide a way for small and medium-size practices to systematically improve care and participate in accountable care organizations, said the researchers.

“The data presented suggest that IPAs and PHOs may be able to provide an additional, potentially viable organizational alternative during an era of major changes in how health care is delivered and paid for,” the study authors wrote.

The research team was led by Lawrence P. Casalino, MD. The study results appeared in the August Issue of Health Affairs.

Physician Organization Leadership Frustrated With Shrinking and Changing Payer Reimbursement, Increasing Administrative Work Load

“Reimbursement that does not even cover costs”

Shortages of primary care physicians: fewer primary care physicians in the face of more patients means those in practice will have to shoulder more responsibilities, is a key challenge cited by a vice president of a physician practice management company.

Along with that issue physicians “juggling increased administrative burdens with maintaining patient quality of care,” the VP observed.

The concerns of executives and administrators of physician organizations emerge from the results of the

Physicians Need To Adapt and Develop A Vision For the Future, IPA-PHO Survey Finds

The resurgence of hospitals buying physician practices, the shortage of primary care physicians, contract and reimbursement models, market consolidation and the pressure to transform primary care practices are among the key issues the leadership of the nation’s physician organizations – PHOs and IPAs are keenly concerned about.

The issues emerged from the results of the IPA -PHO Physician Organization Leadership Survey 2012 by the Managed Care Information Center (MCIC.)

A Glance Back: Boom Times For Growth of New IPAs Began to Slow Dramatically in 1999

Despite today’s somewhat ‘rosy’ outlook for physician organizations, the IPA equivalent of the Dot Com bust occurred in 2002 when only two new IPAs were formed, found Managed Care Information Center Research.

The peak year for IPA growth was 1994 when 174 new physician organizations formed, according to data for the National Directory of Physician Organizations Database. The year 1995 was close with 138 new IPAs formed, our analysts found.
Source: The National Directory of Physician Organizations Database. http://healthresourcesonline.healthrespubs.com/managed_care/23poe.htm

California Medical Group – IPA Merges with a Dialysis Firm – Deal Value $4.4 Billion

Healthcare Partners, Torrance, CA, one of the nation’s largest physician organizations, a medical group and IPA with 152 medical clinics and offices, has entered into an agreement to merge with DaVita, Inc. in a $4.4 billion deal.

The physician organization serves some 700,000 patients in three states, Southern California, Central Florida, and Southern Nevada.

Healthcare Partners Medical Group comprises 700 primary care and specialists and the organization’s IPA has 900 contracted primary care and 3000 specialist physicians.

DaVita, a provider of kidney care services runs dialysis clinic specialist.

Over the years the MCIC has been covering Health Partners and its growth for ongoing research for the National Directory of Physician Organizations Database.

Links: http://www.healthcarepartners.com/

http://www.healthresourcesonline.com/managed_care/23poe.htm

New Physician Organization Leadership Survey Seeks Insight – Opinion

The Managed Care Information Center periodically conducts our Physician Organization Leadership Survey to identify the issues, challenges and opportunities today for physician organizations.

We are seeking survey responses from those engaged in the management and administration of or who are members of such physician organizations as IPAs, PHOs and MSOs.

For your participation in this brief survey, we will send you free an executive summary of the analyzed results.

What are the ‘looming’ challenges? Any opportunities? What is the most pressing concern from your perspective?

The survey only takes a few moments. You do not have to identify yourself if you choose.

As you know, survey results are reported in the Managed Care Information Center reports, in our Managed Care Weekly Watch, as well as the MCIC Blog, Facebook and Twitter and are posted at our website.

To participate in this survey, go click on this link now: http://bit.ly/JhFn9o

If you are connected with executives of members of PHOs, IPA or MSOs, please let them know about this survey.

More Than 550 Thousand Physicians Now Belong To Physician Organizations – IPAs and PHOs

Some 303,959 primary care physicians are members of either an independent practice association or a physician hospital organization, according to our research for the National Directory of Physician Organizations Database.

Specialists account for 258,032 of the total physician organization membership, the research has found.

The research on the ‘niche’ physician organization market includes 2012 -2011 data.

There also has been both growth and consolidation in the physician organization market the Managed Care Information Center studies have found.

With their size, the physician organizations can and are becoming the driving force in helping their physician members adopt electronic health or medical records and investigate whether an accountable care organization should be in their future.

Today, there are 500 Independent Practice Associations (IPAs) that have been identified. Physician hospital organizations (PHOs) comprise 570 of the physician organizations while primary care networks number 85, the research has found. The database also includes information on 131 of the larger multi-specialty medical groups.

PHOs, IPAs, management service organizations (MSOs) and physician practice management companies (PPMCs) have been closely tracked and researched by the Managed Care Information Center in connection with the production of the National Directory of Physician Organizations Database on CD-Rom.

The database also contains business information on management services organizations and practice management companies.

Research Source:  The National Directory of Physician Organizations Database produced by the Managed Care Information Center https://www.healthresourcesonline.com/payer-provider-data/the-national-directory-of-physician-organizations-database-on-cd-rom.html

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