November 21, 2014—Cancer patients treated in hospital outpatient departments are almost four times more likely than those treated in physician offices to be uninsured or covered by Medicaid, a new study commissioned by the American Hospital Association shows. These patients also tend to be sicker and come from lower-income communities.[ms-protect-content id=”2799″]
Unlike other studies that have examined the zip codes of hospital clinics, the new research focuses on the demographics of the patients themselves. It finds that cancer patients treated in hospital outpatient facilities are twice as likely as cancer patients treated in a physician’s office to be black or Hispanic. These patients are also more likely to have severe chronic health conditions and have been in the emergency room more often. These conditions include congestive heart failure, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity.
The research addresses the push by some policy makers to equalize Medicare payments for cancer care provided in private physician offices and hospital outpatient facilities. The data show that hospitals supply more services, treatments, medications and education to their cancer patients.
“To the extent that these differences result in variations in the cost of care, site-neutral payments may have adverse effects on patient access to care,” concludes the report produced by KNG Health Consulting.[/ms-protect-content]