Tackling the Tough Questions About Your Anesthesia Subsidy
The task of managing anesthesia services has become so complex and demanding that most local groups and hospital-employed groups are struggling to effectively operate their practices. In order to determine whether outsourcing to a national anesthesia group is right for you, consider these questions.
Questions to Consider:
Is the hospital's current anesthesia business model economically sustainable into the future in light of continued pressure by third-party payers to reduce reimbursement for anesthesia services?
Is the hospital's anesthesia subsidy likely to increase, further eroding the OR's operating margin for the hospital?
Is the hospital's current anesthesia relationship providing the hospital with the right clinical/business leadership and services, and financial outcomes necessary to ensure effective and efficient operations of the anesthesia department?
These are difficult questions for a hospital to explore. Yet, they are questions that must be asked and thoughtfully examined by hospital management in order to protect the financial well-being and operational viability of the OR, the most significant contributor to a hospital's bottom line.