Payment Reductions Lead to Drop in Unnecessary Care
Reductions in Medicare reimbursements for certain treatments produced a sharp decline in unnecessary care, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. University of Michigan researchers found a decrease in physicians prescribing an often unnecessary hormone treatment to prostate cancer patients after reimbursement rates for the therapy declined because of the Medicare Modernization Act in 2003.
- "Study Shows Drop in Unnecessary Treatment After Medicare Cuts" (Fung, National Journal Daily, 11/4).
- "More Drugs Do Not Always Mean Better Care: Studies" (Fox, Reuters, 11/3).