Two physicians have resigned following contentious contract negotiations at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, Wash., that ask emergency room physicians to accept more responsibility for unpaid patient bills, according to a Spokesman-Review report.
The contract between Sacred Heart and Spokane Emergency Physicians calls upon the physician group to bill separately for emergency room care and provides a subsidy to the physician group to offset the losses from poor and uninsured patients who cannot pay their bills.
According to the report, the contract that went into effect in early April reduces the subsidy provided to emergency room physicians to help them recoup a portion of the losses from unpaid patient bills. Sacred Heart told physicians on March 30 that if they did not sign the contract by the morning of April 1, the hospital would sign a deal with a national medical services company.
Two physicians resigned following the contract change, and other providers say the subsidy reduction has damaged professional ties between the hospital and physician group. According to the report, compensation projections included some rollbacks of at least 30 percent for emergency department physicians.
Read the Spokesman-Review report on Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center.
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The contract between Sacred Heart and Spokane Emergency Physicians calls upon the physician group to bill separately for emergency room care and provides a subsidy to the physician group to offset the losses from poor and uninsured patients who cannot pay their bills.
According to the report, the contract that went into effect in early April reduces the subsidy provided to emergency room physicians to help them recoup a portion of the losses from unpaid patient bills. Sacred Heart told physicians on March 30 that if they did not sign the contract by the morning of April 1, the hospital would sign a deal with a national medical services company.
Two physicians resigned following the contract change, and other providers say the subsidy reduction has damaged professional ties between the hospital and physician group. According to the report, compensation projections included some rollbacks of at least 30 percent for emergency department physicians.
Read the Spokesman-Review report on Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center.
Related Articles on Coding, Billing and Collections:
Vermont Gov. Signs Single Payor Health Bill Into Law
New Jersey Budget Cuts Would Tighten Eligibility Enrollment for New Enrollees
San Francisco City Attorney Sues Medical Insurers for Alleged Underpayment