Physician groups deciding how to spend health care dollars

The New York Times: Cost Of Treatment May Influence Doctors
Saying they can no longer ignore the rising prices of health care, some of the most influential medical groups in the nation are recommending that doctors weigh the costs, not just the effectiveness of treatments, as they make decisions about patient care. The shift, little noticed outside the medical establishment but already controversial inside it, suggests that doctors are starting to redefine their roles, from being concerned exclusively about individual patients to exerting influence on how health care dollars are spent (Pollack, 4/17).  

Earlier, related KHN story: Doctors Overlook Lucrative Procedures When Naming Unwise Treatments (Rau, 4/14).