This opinion piece critiques the large body of geographic variations research, finding much of it flawed or uninformative for policy. The author posits that wide geographic variation in fee-for-service Medicare spending and care delivery could be mitigated by reforming the payment system to...

This opinion piece critiques the large body of geographic variations research, finding much of it flawed or uninformative for policy. The author posits that wide geographic variation in fee-for-service Medicare spending and care delivery could be mitigated by reforming the payment system to...

The relationship between practice intensity and the quality and outcomes of care has not been studied.

This issue brief evaluates the effects of a permanent 10 percent increase in Medicare fees for primary care ambulatory visits on Medicare costs. Using a simulation model with real-world parameters, the study found that, in spite of raising the overall cost of primary care visits, such a fee...