News

AMA to take action on insurers steering patients to retail clinics

July 4, 2011

The American Medical Association is getting tougher with insurers, according to American Medical News, the organizations news publication. The AMA has had a policy for several years that opposes insurers waiving or reducing co-pays at retail clinics in order to steer patients to those facilities. According to the story, the AMA will now “take direct action against the practice by communicating directly with insurance companies.”

Most retail clinics are staffed only by nurse practitioners or physician assistants, but insurers have supported them because the costs are lower than emergency rooms or doctor’s office visits for common ailments.

The Association says encouraging patient visits to retail clinics may lead to duplicate testing or procedures and may actually lead to higher costs for lower quality care.