Integration & Physician Issues

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act reconfirms that healthcare delivery is shifting towards primary care. Primary care physicians are in the best position to expand access under coordinated healthcare and assume the role of care managers. Hospitals need to…

Bingham Farms, Mich.-based United Physicians announced it has reached a merger agreement with Troy, Mich.-based Beaumont Physician Organization.

Two physician groups of obstetricians and gynecologists have chosen not to renew contracts with Barton Health in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., according to a Tahoe Daily Tribune report.

The number of certified physician assistants practicing medicine has increased by more than 100 percent in the last 10 years.

Some Massachusetts hospital leaders say they have not yet felt a physician shortage reported by a recent survey, citing location as a key factor in attracting physicians, according to a report by The Lowell Sun.

CVS Caremark's MinuteClinic, the largest provider of retail-based health clinics, has entered Ohio's Cincinnati and Dayton markets.

Bundled payments may lead to reductions in healthcare spending without affecting quality, according to a recent report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Massachusetts physicians are beginning to find alternative payment models more attractive, as a new survey revealed an increase in respondents likely to participate in voluntary global payments and accountable care organizations compared to last year.

A campaign adviser for Mitt Romney has said the Republican presidential candidate would likely keep accountable care organizations and other delivery reforms despite his plans to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act if elected, according to a Law360…

Six years after its passage of a statewide healthcare reform law, Massachusetts' physician shortage in 2012 has hit critical and severe levels for seven specialties. It's a slight improvement from last year's shortage but may be a condition suggestive of…