With all the noise about lowering healthcare costs, what will health plans actually do, and how will that impact coverage? NAI President Rita E. Numerof, Ph.D. was interviewed on strategies health insurers are using to rein in costs — and the implications for providers, employers and patients — this month in Becker’s ASC Review.

“Having an extensive network that includes hospital providers, physicians and other clinicians has really been an important part of what insurers ‘sell’ to their employer customers,” said Dr. Numerof. “However, I see a trend toward narrowing this network as the business model of healthcare is changing.”

According to Dr. Numerof, payors are becoming more selective about who contracts with them. They are demanding quality and cost data, and providers that aren’t able to deliver will be left behind.

This fundamental change has implications for all stakeholders in healthcare. Click here to read the complete interview with Rita in the article, titled 8 Points on How Narrowing Payor Networks Impacts Surgery Centers, September 10, 2012.