Physicians Protest UnitedHealth Group Restrictions
The nation’s largest insurer, UnitedHealth Group, recently signed a 10-year, $3 billion exclusive contract with Laboratory Corporation of America. This agreement restricts patients to having lab tests performed at Lab Corp testing centers. Some physician groups are protesting this change stating that physicians should be able to decide where to send patients for lab tests.
Physicians are also concerned about fee changes for gastroenterology (GI) procedures. United has discontinued the facility fee that was paid when doctors performed certain GI procedures, such as colonoscopies, in the hospital or ambulatory surgery centers. Since many physicians prefer to perform these procedures in hospitals or surgery centers, this change amounts to a 30% pay cut. However, United will make higher payments to physicians who perform the procedures in their offices. Edward Cattau, chairman of the national affairs committee for American College of Gastroenterology states “while some procedures can be safely performed in offices, there is far less state oversight compared with hospitals or surgery centers.”
Many physicians see these changes as financially driven instead of what is safer for the patient. United says that the restrictions will help patients who would otherwise experience higher costs when using out-of-network facilities, doctors or hospitals.
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February 20, 2007 Related topics: Finance, Diagnostic, Gastroenterology