Hospital-physician integration and Medicare spending: Evidence from stable angina.

Spending among patients with stable angina, a common cardiovascular condition, was nearly equal, on average, across patients of integrated and independent cardiologists. Inpatient spending on high-risk patients was somewhat lower for those under the care of integrated cardiologists. Overall, patients of integrated cardiologists incurred largely comparable spending relative to patients of independent cardiologists, indicating that the impact of hospital-physician integration may depend on the clinical context.