Higher Prices for Cancer Surgery at National Cancer Institute–Designated Cancer Centers—Are Payers Achieving Value for Their Dollars?
Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: health plans may find it more difficult to exclude these highly-respected cancer centers from their networks, since employers want to provide their employees with access to them.Some evidence suggests that care at NCI-designated cancer center hospitals is associated with better outcomes than care in community hospitals.7 Improved outcomes at NCI-designated cancer centers may be particularly evident for patients undergoing cancer-related surgical procedures, 8 for which higher patient volumes may also have benefits.It is likely that some patients benefit from the highly specialized care available at NCI-designated cancer centers, particularly patients with rarer or complex clinical conditions, patients requiring complex procedures, or those for whom clinical trials may offer promising treatment options.But it is also likely that many other patients will do equally well regardless of where they receive their care.More research is needed to better understand prices and to reliably measure the quality of care delivered to patients with cancer across hospitals and practices.9 Such information is critical to assess the extent to which payers and patients achieve value for health care dollars spent at NCI-designated cancer centers and to identify subgroups of patients for whom highly specialized care is particularly necessary to achieve better outcomes.Such data could also be used by payers considering tiered networks and by physician organizations participating in risk contracts for decisions about where to refer patients with cancer for treatment.In the search for high-value, patient-centered, and equitable care, it is critical to identify strategies to better allocate health care dollars in ways that achieve the best possible outcomes across populations of patients.
Source: JAMA Network Open
Author: Nancy L. Keating
Institutions: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard University
Language: English
Subfield: Economics and Econometrics
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,000
OpenAlex ID: W3192863377