Government
Lawmakers work on measure to expand specialty hospital referral ban
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 2, 2005
Senate Finance Committee leaders have revealed that they are drafting legislation to extend a ban on physician referrals to specialty hospitals in which the doctors have an ownership interest.
Committee Chair Charles Grassley (R, Iowa) and Ranking Democrat Max Baucus (Mont.) aim to extend the 18-month moratorium on these so-called self-referrals before it expires June 8.
Supporters of the extension, which effectively has halted the construction of new specialty hospitals, say doctors might be sending healthier patients to these facilities to enrich their investments.
The debate pits community hospital organizations against the specialty hospitals and the American Medical Association, which says that the facilities foster healthy competition and provide good care alternatives for doctors and patients.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/05/02/gvbf0502.htm.
