Perspectives on Physician-Payment Reform

Abstract

Medicare payment to physicians is an important matter of public policy. Many persons, myself included, have been calling for reform for years. Reform may or may not be near, but the attention devoted to the payment of physicians will undoubtedly reach a new peak with the release of Professor Hsiao's long-awaited study. Hsiao and his colleagues have done pioneering work, described in this issue of the Journal,1 , 2 in the development of a resource-based relative-value scale (RBRVS). The Hsiao study focuses on what many consider to be the issue in physician payment — how much to pay for cognitive services . . .