Strengths And Weaknesses Of Introducing An Inflation Factor Into The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.

Unlike most other Medicare fee schedules, the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule does not include an automatic inflation update. We describe the history of Physician Fee Schedule update systems and present paradigms for evaluating the merits of adding an inflation-based adjustment factor to the schedule's updating formulas. We adopt an incentive paradigm, which emphasizes how access to care and the consolidation of health care facilities are affected by fees.

Gender Minority Youth Experiencing Homelessness and Corresponding Health Disparities.

Purpose: Pediatricians and youth service providers frequently interface with vulnerable populations, including gender minority youth (e.g., transgender, nonbinary, gender questioning, and other gender diverse individuals) and youth experiencing homelessness.