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March 15, 2019

Countering Provider Consolidation – Life Science Leader, March 15, 2019

As Congress debates partisan issues such as “Medicare for All” where private health insurance would be outlawed, troubling trends are emerging on healthcare provider consolidation that are driving up costs. ACOs’ Underwhelming Performance There is a long-standing belief — particularly in liberal and academic health-policy circles — that physician–hospital integration into larger systems would improve […]

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February 27, 2019

More Outpatient Site-Neutral Payments to Cut Costs, Coalition Says – RevCycle Intelligence, Feb. 26, 2019

Extending and establishing site-neutral payments for outpatient services is the key to lowering healthcare costs, a coalition of patient advocates, providers, payers, and employers recently told top policymakers. “Site neutral payment reforms have long had bipartisan support from policymakers, healthcare economists, regulators and MedPAC,” the Alliance for Site Neutral Payment Reform wrote in a Feb. 20 letter. […]

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October 26, 2018

Site neutral payment reform is a winning issue for patients – unless Congress rolls it back – The Hill, Oct. 26, 2018

Data show that the majority of Americans experience stress tied to medical costs for treating illnesses or purchasing medications. Premiums for most health insurance plans continue to increase as more patients find themselves paying more out-of-pocket in the form of higher co-pays and deductibles. Cancer patients face particular hardship. A recent survey found that 70 […]

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October 25, 2018

Congress Must Resist Hospitals’ Efforts Against Site-Neutral Payments – Real Clear Health, Oct. 25, 2018

By Deepak Kapoor |   October 25, 2018 Recent efforts by the nation’s hospital industry illustrate the difficulty of controlling expenditures in the nation’s $700 billion Medicare program. Congress included in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (BBA), a clear, bipartisan message that, to the extent similar services can be safely provided in multiple settings, […]

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August 14, 2018

AAOS supports move to site-neutral payments for physician office visits – Becker’s Spine Review, Aug. 14, 2018

By Laura Dyrda  |   August 14, 2018 The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons supports CMS’ Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System’s proposed rule to move the two sites of service closer to site-neutral payments. The new rule would reduce the payment rate for hospital outpatient clinic visits provided at off-campus […]

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August 2, 2018

AAFP, Insurers Back Medicare Bid for ‘Site-Neutral’ Pay – Medscape, Aug. 2, 2018

By Kerry Dooley Young   |   August 2, 2018 Medicare officials may get significant support from some physicians and insurers for their bid to end higher payments for identical and similar medical services provided in hospital-owned clinics than in independent practices. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said it intends to use […]

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August 1, 2018

It’s Time to Finalize Proposals to Equalize Payments Across Sites of Service – Morning Consult, Aug. 1, 2018

By Dr. Marcus Neubauer  |   August 1, 2018 Even though the United States leads the world in health care technology, biopharmaceutical innovation and our renowned providers, we somehow continue to fall dreadfully short in formulating public policies that are good for patients, taxpayers and Medicare. It’s a key reason why the Trump administration recently released its […]

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July 31, 2018

Industry split on CMS site neutrality proposal – Healthcare Dive, July 31, 2018

By Tony Abraham  |   July 31, 2018 Hospitals and health systems are up in arms over CMS’ proposal to make payments for clinic visits site neutral, a move that would essentially equalize visits to hospital outpatient departments and physician groups. Opponents say this would impede access. Doctors and some policy experts argue that access shouldn’t hinge […]

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