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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
By Randy Broun | August 2, 2017 When it comes to health care services, many Americans assume that the government pays for health care the same way consumers pay for products in the retail setting. A consumer buying a bag of chips at Grocery Store A would expect to pay a comparable price for that exact same […]
By David Hakimian | June 29, 2017 Analyzing the high costs of health care has become one of our most time- and energy-consuming national pastimes. In Washington, a great deal of that activity focuses on Medicare — a program at risk of buckling under the strain of aging baby boomers, runaway spending and outdated policies. […]
By David Hogberg | June 19, 2017 Competition in the healthcare market is healthy for patients. Unfortunately, in recent years hospitals, aided by government regulation, have reduced competition by consolidating and gobbling up physician practices. “Site-neutral payments” have the potential to slow that trend. Historically, Medicare has reimbursed hospitals for outpatient treatment at a higher […]
By John Wilkerson | June 2, 2017 The Alliance for Site-Neutral Payment Reform asks that CMS use the upcoming outpatient pay rule to pay equal rates to hospital outpatient facilities and doctor offices, which is the opposite of hospitals’ request. Medicare pays far more for services in hospital-owned doctor offices than in independent doctor offices, […]
By Alex Kacik | April 13, 2017 Consolidation will continue to drive up healthcare costs and reduce quality of care unless lawmakers and regulators push policy reforms and rules aimed at increasing competition, according to new research. As providers increasingly look to consolidate in order to lower operating costs and create economies of scale, the Center […]
By CBS News | March 28, 2017 When my wife fell on the ice a few years ago, she thought her wrist was broken. She went to see her doctor, who advised her to have an X-ray taken in the same building. Since her wrist was still crooked months later, she had a second X-ray done at […]
By Shelby Livingston | November 29, 2016 A coalition of physician advocacy groups and insurers that include the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and insurance industry lobbying group America’s Health Insurance Plans, is urging Congress to reject a provision in the 21st Century Cures Act that allows some hospital-owned outpatient facilities to dodge recently […]