Contents tagged with reform
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Texas Family Physician - Vol. 66 No. 3, Summer 2015
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President’s letter
Perspective
CONTENTS
Inside the coverage gapTexas is the only state left with at least 20 percent of its population … more
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Texas Family Physician - Vol. 66 No. 1, Winter 2015
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President’s letter
Perspective
CONTENTS
Texas Family Physician of the Year 2014-15: Russell Thomas, Jr., DO, MPHThis year’s Physician … more
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Which way from here?
Health care reform in the United States
By Kim D. Slocum
President, KDS Consulting, LLCThree years ago, I was interviewed for an article in Texas Family Physician entitled “Payment reform—The next step toward an efficient high-quality health care system.” At that time, I said that the United States would see one of three futures for health care: one based on rapidly escalating consumer cost shifting, one making significant use of price controls, or one focused on measuring and rewarding “value.” So, where do we stand in early 2015 and what can we expect next?
At the moment, the concept of shifting costs to consumers is in high gear. The passage of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 created an opportunity for employers to move to high deductible health plans, which it was presumed would turn consumers into “happy economists” who would diligently study cost and quality ratings for various medical services, come to medical encounters fully prepared to argue the merits of each recommendation with their physicians, and only receive care that would optimize their clinical outcome.
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Health Insurance Marketplace
As patients come to you with questions about Texas’ new federally-facilitated health insurance marketplace, here are some resources and information for you. Enrollment in the marketplace health … more
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Learn about payment reform models with TAFP online videos
Learn about payment reform models with TAFP online videos
posted 05.10.12
Last fall, TAFP held a summit on various payment reform models physicians should consider as the country moves away from … more
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Elgin physicians initiate grassroots patient campaign to fight Medicare cut
Elgin physicians initiate grassroots patient campaign to fight Medicare cut
posted 03.18.10
Ken Sherman, M.D., William Biel, M.D., and Marilyn Ruiz, M.D., have enlisted the aid of a powerful … more
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Payment and System Reform
Payment and system reform
Watch “Family physicians embracing change”
MORE VIDEOS • What is an ACO?
• What is direct primary care?
• A physician-led Austin ACO
Medicare Access and … more
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Cover: Trading Volume for Value
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Trading Volume for Value
Can we solve the country’s health care cost crisis by aligning payment incentives with desired outcomes in a new era of austerity?
As worry builds over the … more
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Texas Family Physician - Vol. 62 No. 4, Fall 2012
CONTENTS
Go to the TFP archive
View the virtual issue
President’s Letter
Member News
Perspective
Trading volume for valueRemember when health care reform was all about slowly … more
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Payment reform starts with family doctors
By Melissa Gerdes, M.D.
TAFP President, 2010-2011Adequate payment for primary care health services has long been an issue for family medicine. The absence of adequate payment has affected our specialty in numerous ways, including forcing physicians to see too many patients too fast, causing student interest in family medicine to decline, and leading practicing physicians into non-clinical careers. This migration of physicians away from family medicine has a negative effect on the public and our patients. According to the Commonwealth Fund, countries that have a lower proportion of primary care physicians to patients have populations with higher morbidities and poorer health outcomes.
Our current payment system is volume-driven, where physicians are paid more for doing things to patients than for doing things for patients. Research shows that doing more things to a patient does not automatically result in improved health outcomes. In fact, such practice very often results in worsened health outcomes. How do we migrate away from the volume basis?
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