Physicians Concerned with Encroachment of Corporate Interests into Medical Care Delivery

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MEDICAL SOCIETY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
865 Merrick Avenue, Westbury, New York 11590-9007
www.mssny.org
Communications Division
Telephone: (516) 488-6100

 

For Immediate Release

Physicians Concerned with Encroachment of Corporate Interests into Medical Care Delivery

April 11, 2018, Westbury, NY—Saturday’s New York Times article regarding proposed health care mega-mergers such as CVS-Aetna and Walmart-Humana highlights concerns many physicians have with the significant encroachment of corporate interests into medical care delivery.

These concerns include:

  • Adverse impact to patient care that could result from the loss of physician-led medical homes.
  • Further reduction of patient choice of pharmacy, as it may become harder for pharmacies not affiliated with CVS or Walmart to be incorporated into these merged entities’ pharmaceutical networks.
  • Enabling PBMs to impose even more burdensome prior authorization hassles for physicians and their staff as a pre-condition for patients receiving needed prescription medications.
  • These transactions could lead to a proliferation of so-called “retail clinics,” owned by an insurance company/retailer that could have great incentive to steer patients to these sites instead of a community based primary care practice that typically serves as a patient’s medical home.   This will result in the fragmentation of patient care instead of helping to better coordinate it.
  • Loss of physician advocacy for the best treatment for their patient, not the corporate bottom line.

“It is imperative that our state and federal investigatory agencies carefully review the impact of this cross-sector consolidation on patient care delivery and access before any such consolidation is permitted to move forward,” said Thomas Madejski, MD, president of the Medical Society of the State of New York.  “We also urge the enactment of measures that would enable independently practicing physicians to counter such consolidation by being permitted to come together to negotiate on behalf of their patients against these corporate behemoths.

“Our patients’ ability to continue to receive needed care from the physician of their choice depends upon it.”

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Founded in 1807, the Medical Society of the State of New York is the state’s principal non-profit professional organization for physicians, residents and medical students of all specialties. Its mission is to represent the interests of patients and physicians to assure quality healthcare services for all.

Media Contact:
Roseann Raia
Medical Society of the State of New York
516.488.6100 x 302
rraia@mssny.org