Primary care physicians and capitated reimbursement : Experience, attitudes, and predictors

• Published in: Journal of general internal medicine : JGIM 1997-03, Vol.12 (3), p.192-194
• Main Authors: CYKERT, S, HANSEN, C, LAYSON, R, JOINES, J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attitude of Health Personnel; Attitudes; Biological and medical sciences; Capitation; Capitation Fee; Family Practice - economics; Female; General aspects; Health care access; Health care expenditures; Health systems. Social services; Hospitals; Humans; Internal medicine; Internal Medicine - economics; Male; Managed Care Programs - economics; Medical sciences; Medicine; Middle Aged; Patients; Physician-Patient Relations; Physicians; Physicians, Family - classification; Physicians, Family - psychology; Physicians, Family - statistics & numerical data; Primary care; Professional relationships; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Questionnaires; Reimbursement; Response rates; Short Communications; Surveys and Questionnaires; United States; Variance analysis
• ISSN: 0884-8734; 1525-1497
• DOI: 10.1007/s11606-006-5029-1

Given the explosive expansion of capitated reimbursement for the services of primary care physicians, we conducted a national survey of a random sample of these practitioners to measure attitudes toward capitated payment and identify predictors of important attitudes. Descriptive, factor analytic, and regression techniques were used. The response rate was 54%. As measured by scales derived from factor analysis, perceptions were strong that capitation was costly to professional and patient relationships. Patients' access to care was perceived as slightly reduced. Actual participation in capitation attenuated feelings of lack of access but not those of capitation's costly effects. Physicians' attitudes toward capitation remain negative, but participants perceive their patients' access to appropriate care as reasonable.