From reimbursement declines to anesthesia availability, George Dickstein, MD, vice president of clinical affairs of Gastro Health Massachusetts, joined Becker's to discuss the payer trends that are concerning him most.
Editor's note: This interview was edited lightly for clarity and length.
Question: What payer trends are the most concerning in the GI space currently?
Dr. George Dickstein: What payer trends are NOT the most concerning in the GI space? Costs such as running a practice, hiring a new GI physician, employing staff, paying for EMRs, setting up a lower cost site of service like an ASC, etc., keep going up much faster than compensation rates.
Anesthesia and certified registered nurse anesthetists compensation rates have been hit very hard across the country, limiting the availability and practicality of providing deep sedation for the comfort and safety of patients. Opportunities for financially sound global contracting (facility fee, physician fee, pathology fee and anesthesia fee) are limited and sometimes illegal, and too often force financial risk on providers before the modeling is sound.