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Market power and contract form: evidence from physician group practices

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Abstract

We examine how the market power of physician groups affects the form of their contracts with health insurers. We develop a simple model of physician contracting based on ‘behavioral economics’ and test it with data from two sources: a survey of physician group practices in Minnesota; and the physician component of the Community Tracking Survey. In both data sets we find that increases in groups’ market power are associated with proportionately more fee-for-service revenue and less revenue from capitation.

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Correspondence to Robert Town.

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Town, R., Feldman, R. & Kralewski, J. Market power and contract form: evidence from physician group practices. Int J Health Care Finance Econ 11, 115–132 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10754-011-9091-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10754-011-9091-9

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