TY - JOUR
T1 - Physician and clinic charges for diagnosing growth hormone deficiency
AU - Kirkland, J.
AU - Saenger, P.
AU - MacGillivray, M.
AU - LaFranchi, S.
AU - Rosenfield, R.
N1 - Funding Information:
a Paul Saenger, MD, is the recipient of a research grant from Genentech, Inc.
PY - 1996
Y1 - 1996
N2 - Physician and clinic charges for diagnosing growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in children are not generally known, whereas the charges for purchasing growth hormone (GH) are known. We recently surveyed the charges submitted to third-party payers for diagnosing GHD in five pediatric endocrine clinics throughout the United States: the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Health Science Schools of the State University of New York at Buffalo, Oregon Health Sciences University, and the University of Chicago. The financial data analyzed included charges for physician services and for GH testing. Different approaches to the medical examination of children with suspected GHD at these clinics prevented any comparison of physician or GH testing charges. However, the charges for diagnosing GHD could be determined for each pediatric endocrine clinic if the methods at examination were not considered. Contractual adjustments, net revenues, costs, and net margins were not surveyed. Subjective comments from the study sites suggest significantly reduced reimbursement amounts. We conclude that the total charges for diagnosing GHD submitted to third-party payers at these institutions averaged $1719.
AB - Physician and clinic charges for diagnosing growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in children are not generally known, whereas the charges for purchasing growth hormone (GH) are known. We recently surveyed the charges submitted to third-party payers for diagnosing GHD in five pediatric endocrine clinics throughout the United States: the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Health Science Schools of the State University of New York at Buffalo, Oregon Health Sciences University, and the University of Chicago. The financial data analyzed included charges for physician services and for GH testing. Different approaches to the medical examination of children with suspected GHD at these clinics prevented any comparison of physician or GH testing charges. However, the charges for diagnosing GHD could be determined for each pediatric endocrine clinic if the methods at examination were not considered. Contractual adjustments, net revenues, costs, and net margins were not surveyed. Subjective comments from the study sites suggest significantly reduced reimbursement amounts. We conclude that the total charges for diagnosing GHD submitted to third-party payers at these institutions averaged $1719.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0029866214&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0029866214&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/s0022-3476(96)70014-8
DO - 10.1016/s0022-3476(96)70014-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 8627473
AN - SCOPUS:0029866214
SN - 0022-3476
VL - 128
SP - S61-S62
JO - Journal of Pediatrics
JF - Journal of Pediatrics
IS - 5 II
ER -