Download eBook for Free
Full Document
| Format | File Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PDF file | 0.2 MB | Use Adobe Acrobat Reader version 10 or higher for the best experience. |
Summary Only
| Format | File Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PDF file | 0.1 MB | Use Adobe Acrobat Reader version 10 or higher for the best experience. |
The Medicare prospective payment system for hospital outpatient services has been subject to continuing debate since it was implemented August 1, 2000. Policy issues include how the unit of payment is defined, how the payment rate is established, and how the costs of new technology and expensive drugs are recognized. In addition, there are concerns over using different payment methodologies across ambulatory settings and the lack of an effective mechanism to control aggregate Medicare expenditures for ambulatory services. This study reviews the alternative approaches that were considered for payment of hospital outpatient services when the outpatient prospective payment system was designed and considers their relevance today.
The research described in this report was prepared for the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission and performed under the auspices of RAND Health.
This report is part of the RAND Corporation Working paper series. RAND working papers are intended to share researchers' latest findings and to solicit informal peer review. They have been approved for circulation by RAND but may not have been formally edited or peer reviewed.
This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.