Some physicians have objected to a new payment model adopted by Chesterfield, Mo.-based Mercy Health, according to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch report.
The new reimbursement structure aims to standardize payment for 2,100 Mercy-employed physicians in four states. The revamped pay scale uses relative value units as a basis for compensation. Many health systems in the U.S. use RVUs as a means of standardization, according to the report.
Although health system executives say most physicians have signed the new payment contracts, some have said the arrangement doesn't offer enough flexibility or reimburse physicians based on quantity. For instance, Allen Soffer, MD — a Mercy-employed cardiologist — told the Dispatch the new contract is too restrictive. He and his cardiology group will return to private practice next June.