QUESTION: Discuss the concept Capitation.
ANSWER:
INTRODUCTION:
- Capitation is one type of payment system in healthcare system
in which a hospital or a doctor paid fixed amount of money per
patient for a prescribed period of time.
- It is the type of arrangement of payment for health care
service provider.
- For a period of time, it pays a definite amount for each
enrolled person assigned to them.
- The remuneration amount is based on the health care utilization
of a patient.
PROS
- It simplifies bookkeeping.
- It avoid the excessive billing.
- Patients avoid non essential procedure of the test.
CONS
- Health care providers provides services in very less time.
- It motivates to provide very less health care service.
BENEFITS
- The most benefits from capitation system are likely to
HMO(Health Maintainance Organization) and
IPA(Indivisual Practice Association)
- The decreased cost of bookkeeping is the main benefits for a
doctor.
- Reduce the cost of bookkeeping, allow a practice to treat more
patients at a lower operating expenses.
- It also benefits to IPA in which it prevents PCP(Primary Care
Physician) for providing more care to patients in very costly
procedure.
- It also reduce the excessive billing which may or may not be
essential.
- The main benefits of capitation system is that , it avoids
unnecessary procedures and time consuming procedures.
DRAWBACKS
- For moderate health care , capitation is most cost
effective.
- It allow to enroll more number of patients which cause them a
longer wait.
- For patient with significant medical issue, Used to increase
the financial risk on the physician.
QUALITY CARE
- While creating incentives for prevantative health care,
Capitated care make great efforts to control health care
costs.
- It Efforts to improve the experience of patient and physician
in a health care system.