In June 2013, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report, “Medicare Action Needed to Address Higher Use of Anatomic Pathology Services by Providers Who Self-Refer” (GAO Report), which discussed the utilization of anatomic pathology (AP) services in the fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare program. The GAO Report focused on the growth of AP services between calendar years 2004 […]
Research
NIHCR Research Brief: Hospital Outpatient Prices Much Higher than Community Settings for Identical Services
Many medical services—for example, an MRI scan—are provided both in hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) and community settings, such as physician offices and freestanding imaging or ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs). Services commonly provided in both settings include laboratory tests, physical therapy, outpatient surgery, standard and advanced imaging, physician visits, and noninvasive and invasive procedures, such as […]