Shuttling the results from an outside provider, because the health insurance agency will only reimburse outside screening, forces the patient to wait and possibly incurs more costs, if the delays in obtaining diagnostic information worsen the patient's condition. This can ultimately result in more prolonged treatment. Many patients may also be put at risk because of the logistics of being transported to outpatient facilities for essential screening and rehabilitative services, while they are still convalescing.
Being able to conduct all necessary tests in-house results in great efficiency, swifter screening, and improves coordination between the different providers involved in the case. Our hospital has extensive resources for patients, and can provide a wide range of treatment options, particularly in its specializations of cardiac and orthopedic care. And improvements in technology that are keeping extremely sick patients...
Quite often, only large hospitals such as outs can provide full access to the latest technology via in patient care.
From both a cost and patient perspective, shifting more procedures out-of-house does not serve the needs of the hospital, patient, or even the insurance agency in the long run. And it certainly does not serve the needs of society, given that poorer patient health is the likely result. All of this can and must be communicated during the contract negotiations.
References
Mertens, Maggie. (2010, October 4). More Medicaid payment for some doctors. But will it last?
Shots. NPR Blog. Retrieved November 24, 2010 at http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/04/will_medicaid_payment_follow_u.html
