BLOGSCAN - Why Not Just Pay Physicians By the Hour?

We have frequently discussed how perverse incentives are spread around health care.  In the US, the physicians are paid according to a system that provides strong incentives for doing procedures, (see our posts about how the RUC has encouraged this bias towards procedures.)   Since physicians are the most influential "deciders" about the care of individual patients, these incentives encourage overtesting and overtreatment with the highest technology, driving up costs and subjecting patients to increased risks of adverse events.  The recent health care reform law, however, essentially encouraged a version of capitated payment, which might very well provide incentives for undertreatment and undertesting.  For years, Dr Robert Centor has argued logically and forcefully for paying physicians for the time they spend on behalf of payments, very analogous to how lawyers and many other professionals are paid.  This might provide much more neutral, less perverse incentives than would existing or other proposed physician payment schemes.  Dr Centor argued again for this seemingly reasonable and logical idea on his DB's Medical Rants blog.  The big question is why this idea has been so anechoic?
womens health ,health articles ,health information ,health benefits ,free health insurance ,health plus ,child health insurance ,health insurance plans ,insurance health ,online health insurance ,health insurance companies ,best health insurance ,health insurance ,health plan ,health ins ,family health insurance ,health plans ,health insurance coverage ,health magazine ,health insurance providers ,health news ,health insurance online ,health current events ,health insurance company ,womens health magazine ,health and wellness ,current health articles ,good health insurance ,health insurances ,health news articles ,health insurance plan ,current health events ,health related articles ,health insurance options ,recent health articles ,health facts ,health.com ,get health insurance ,health topics ,articles on health ,articles about health ,health current event ,health concerns ,holistic health ,global health ,health magazines ,health news today ,current health issues ,heart health ,current health news womens health ,health articles ,health information ,health benefits ,free health insurance ,health plus ,child health insurance ,health insurance plans ,insurance health ,online health insurance ,health insurance companies ,best health insurance ,health insurance ,health plan ,health ins ,family health insurance ,health plans ,health insurance coverage ,health magazine ,health insurance providers ,health news ,health insurance online ,health current events ,health insurance company ,womens health magazine ,health and wellness ,current health articles ,good health insurance ,health insurances ,health news articles ,health insurance plan ,current health events ,health related articles ,health insurance options ,recent health articles ,health facts ,health.com ,get health insurance ,health topics ,articles on health ,articles about health ,health current event ,health concerns ,holistic health ,global health ,health magazines ,health news today ,current health issues ,heart health ,current health news