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focuses on Medicare — a program at risk of buckling under the strain of aging baby boomers, runaway spending and outdated policies.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 […]
By Michael D. Williamson | November 28, 2016 3:34PM ET Nov. 28 (BNA) – Congress should keep a Medicare site-neutral payment policy for certain hospital outpatient departments, a coalition representing insurers, providers, patient advocates and employers said today. Congress should remove provisions in the 21st Century Cures legislative package that would exempt cancer hospitals and […]
About this same time last year, Congress enacted a reform that signaled growing support for common sense policies that ensure Medicare reimburses the same amount, for the same services despite the care setting – pro-patient policy that simultaneously lowers Medicare costs. Physicians, like myself, across the country praised Congress for taking this bold step and […]
Medicare already plans to stop paying certain hospital-owned physician practices at higher rates than those that are independently owned. The Alliance for Site Neutral Payment Reform has launched a new website devoted to supporting site neutral payment reforms. Aimed at lawmakers, healthcare officials and the general public, the site features research on the value of […]
Despite extensive data documenting large payment disparities across sites of service for healthcare delivery, and the opportunities for cost savings through site neutral payment reforms, healthcare leaders and policy makers still face enormous obstacles and opposition to payment parity policies that have the potential to ensure patient choice and preserve Medicare dollars. In a study […]