An economic analysis of payment for health care services: the United States and Switzerland compared
Research output: Journal contributions › Scientific review articles › Research
Standard
In: International Journal of Health Care Finance and Economics, Vol. 9, No. 2, 01.06.2009, p. 197-210.
Research output: Journal contributions › Scientific review articles › Research
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - An economic analysis of payment for health care services
T2 - the United States and Switzerland compared
AU - Zweifel, Peter
AU - Tai-Seale, Ming
PY - 2009/6/1
Y1 - 2009/6/1
N2 - This article seeks to assess whether physician payment reforms in the United States and Switzerland were likely to attain their objectives. We first introduce basic contract theory, with the organizing principle being the degree of information asymmetry between the patient and the health care provider. Depending on the degree of information asymmetry, different forms of payment induce "appropriate" behavior. These theoretical results are then pitted against the RBRVS of the United States to find that a number of its aspects are not optimal. We then turn to Switzerland's Tarmed and find that it fails to conform with the prescriptions of economic contract theory as well. The article closes with a review of possible reforms that could do away with uniform fee schedules to improve the performance of the health care system.
AB - This article seeks to assess whether physician payment reforms in the United States and Switzerland were likely to attain their objectives. We first introduce basic contract theory, with the organizing principle being the degree of information asymmetry between the patient and the health care provider. Depending on the degree of information asymmetry, different forms of payment induce "appropriate" behavior. These theoretical results are then pitted against the RBRVS of the United States to find that a number of its aspects are not optimal. We then turn to Switzerland's Tarmed and find that it fails to conform with the prescriptions of economic contract theory as well. The article closes with a review of possible reforms that could do away with uniform fee schedules to improve the performance of the health care system.
KW - Clinical Competence
KW - Costs and Cost Analysis
KW - Cross-Cultural Comparison
KW - Health Services
KW - Humans
KW - Models, Econometric
KW - Physicians
KW - Reimbursement Mechanisms
KW - Switzerland
KW - Time Factors
KW - United States
KW - Management studies
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=67349268138&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10754-009-9061-7
DO - 10.1007/s10754-009-9061-7
M3 - Scientific review articles
C2 - 19357947
VL - 9
SP - 197
EP - 210
JO - International Journal of Health Care Finance and Economics
JF - International Journal of Health Care Finance and Economics
SN - 1389-6563
IS - 2
ER -