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Exploring the relationship between inpatient facility and physician services
M E Miller1, W P Welch, H S Wong
1Urban Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
Medical Care
|February 1, 1997
Summary
Medicare physician and facility services are complementary, meaning increases in one lead to increases in the other. Reducing physician spending may also lower facility costs in the long run.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Health Economics
- Medical Care
Background:
- Medicare hospitalizations encompass both facility and physician services.
- Existing research often analyzes these services separately, with limited exploration of their direct relationship.
- Understanding the interplay between facility and physician services is crucial for healthcare policy and resource allocation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To directly investigate the relationship between Medicare inpatient facility and physician services.
- To determine if these services act as complements or substitutes.
- To inform policy decisions regarding healthcare expenditures.
Main Methods:
- Linked Medicare physician claims to inpatient hospital stays.
- Utilized data from Medicare hospital cost reports, the Medicare Patient Analysis and Review file, and the Medicare National Claims History System.
- Employed multivariate regression analyses to assess correlations and determine determinants.
Main Results:
- Positive correlations were found between facility and physician services, indicating complementarity.
- Physician services were identified as the most significant determinant of facility services.
- A 10% increase in physician services was associated with at least a 3.0% increase in facility services.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest that inpatient physician and facility services are complementary.
- Policies aimed at reducing inpatient physician expenditures could lead to reduced facility expenditures over time.
- This relationship has implications for Medicare செலவு containment strategies.