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Site-Neutral Payments

SAME SERVICE, SAME PRICE

Patients should be charged the same price when they receive the same medical service, no matter where they receive it.

 

Unfortunately today, big hospital systems are buying up small physician practices and then charging patients more to receive the same care there. By changing the logos on the door of the physician practices, big hospital systems are making billions more dollars, at the expense of patients. Site-neutral payments will ensure that patients pay the same price for the same service, and will save patients billions of dollars.

DOCTORS AGREE

Dr. Ernesto A. Pretto, Jr. MD, MPH<br />Coral Gables FL
Dr. Ernesto A. Pretto, Jr. MD, MPH
Coral Gables FLProfessor of Clinical Anesthesiology
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"Doctors are deeply concerned about this trend toward health care acquisitions, mergers and consolidations by private equity and other large hospital corporations. They drive up out-of-pocket costs and raise premium prices for everyone. Hospitals shouldn’t gouge patients to pad their already soaring profit margins."
Dr. Gary Wainer<br />Oak Park, IL
Dr. Gary Wainer
Oak Park, ILRetired Family Physician
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"Let me be clear: These higher prices and additional fees have nothing to do with clinical effectiveness or safety. Large hospital systems are charging patients more because they can, and because the fees add to their profits."
Dr. Madelaine Tully<br />Milwaukee County, WI
Dr. Madelaine Tully
Milwaukee County, WIFamily Physician
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“Unfortunately, [health care] mergers haven’t demonstrably increased quality of care — just the cost of it. Doctors know it’s just a new way for big hospitals to game the system and make more money. If I order a screening or a biopsy for a patient, it will cost them significantly more if they have to go to an ‘outpatient department’ instead of an independent clinic. Either way, the services will be the same. Just because a hospital now owns your local doctor’s office, they can jack up the prices."
Dr. Aisha Harris<br />Flint, MI
Dr. Aisha Harris
Flint, MIFamily Physician
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“My patients are already getting squeezed by skyrocketing prescription drug prices, rising premiums and higher out-of-pocket costs. Now the hospital they count on to look after them is getting in on the action, by sticking them with unnecessary and unjustifiable hospital fees for procedures that are identical yet would cost far less in an independent office or freestanding facility.”
Dr. Max Cooper<br /> Southeastern PA
Dr. Max Cooper
Southeastern PAEmergency Physician
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"Right now, our twisted, tangled reimbursement system leads to patients being charged more for the same health care services just because of where they receive them... This means patients across the state and country are losing billions of dollars just because of where they receive care."
Dr. Yolanda Bogaert<br />Denver, CO
Dr. Yolanda Bogaert
Denver, CONephrologist
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"Here in Colorado, and across the United States, our health care system faces yet another alarming trend as costs continue to skyrocket: large hospitals are buying small physician practices, then charging patients more to access the exact same care there."
Dr. Lisa Kipersztok<br />Portland, OR
Dr. Lisa Kipersztok
Portland, ORPrimary Care Family Physician
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"There is no sound reason for patients to be charged more for the same service because of where they receive it. Yet, the current system allows, and even incentivizes, large hospitals to buy up small physician practices, change the logo on the front door, and start charging more. Thankfully, Congress can act to help solve this problem, a truly bipartisan issue, and ensure that patients receive the same services for the same prices."
Dr. Rommaan Ahmad<br />Alexandria, VA
Dr. Rommaan Ahmad
Alexandria, VAPain Management Physiatrist
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"Sticker shock doesn’t just hit individual patients. We all pay, because as health care costs continue to increase, premiums for all of us increase. And evidence shows, and doctors have known for a long time, that people skip getting care when health care gets too expensive and unaffordable."
Dr. Nancy Binford<br />Austin, TX
Dr. Nancy Binford
Austin, TXFellow of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology
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"As a physician who is an independent small business owner of a solo practice, I’ve watched the corporatization of health care grow over 25 years in Austin. It now predominates, and I’m gravely concerned."
Dr. Raina Young<br />Eagan, MN
Dr. Raina Young
Eagan, MNFamily Physician
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"Just as we strive to hold Big Pharma and insurance corporations accountable for price gouging, we must also hold large corporate hospital systems accountable for sticking patients with hundreds, even thousands, of dollars of extra fees for no other reason than that they can. And bipartisan proposals are starting to emerge to tackle this pressing problem."
Dr. Gail Guerrero Tucker<br />Safford, AZ
Dr. Gail Guerrero Tucker
Safford, AZFamily Medicine
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"Physicians and health-care professionals know from our experience that people are less likely to get care when seeing a doctor, getting a diagnostic test or filling a prescription drug becomes too costly...Congress should act at the federal level to ensure all families can get affordable health care."
Dr. Howard Selinger<br />Burlington, CT
Dr. Howard Selinger
Burlington, CTFamily Medicine
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"By passing site-neutral payment legislation, Congress can help ensure patients aren’t charged more just because they’re at a hospital outpatient department. Site-neutral payment reform is a bipartisan, common sense solution to help lower health care costs for patients nationwide. As hospital consolidation continues, patients deserve action."
Dr. Roger Kinnard<br />Melrose, MA
Dr. Roger Kinnard
Melrose, MANeurology
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"Congress has an opportunity to pass common-sense, bipartisan legislation on site-neutral payments that would protect patients from being overcharged for the same service. By ensuring that prices are more consistent across different settings, Congress can help save patients billions of dollars and prevent large hospital systems from gaming the system at the expense of patients."
Dr. Nita Schwartz<br />Carson Valley, NV
Dr. Nita Schwartz
Carson Valley, NVPalliative Care & Hospice Medicine Specialist
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"Hospitals are charging more for medical bills because a patient happened to see a doctor or get an infusion or undergo a scan at what hospitals consider “outpatient departments.” These locations may be a simple office, a freestanding diagnostic lab or any other site that may not be anywhere near a hospital. Yet hospitals are charging more just because they can, driving up costs for my patients, and essentially creating another barrier to care."
Dr. Steven McDonald<br />New York, NY
Dr. Steven McDonald
New York, NYEmergency Medicine
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"A growing number of doctors and health care advocates who are concerned about the mounting costs to patients are calling for an end to the anti-competitive, predatory behaviors of large hospital monopolies. The antidote to this poison is “site-neutral payments”: Same service, same price, regardless of hospital ownership."
Dr. Ean Bett<br />Columbus, OH
Dr. Ean Bett
Columbus, OHFamily Medicine
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"When a patient goes to their regular doctor’s office for a routine biopsy and then gets surprised with a higher bill because the office was bought by a hospital, that patient may decide to skip the next biopsy. A once-treatable cancer may worsen, becoming painful and life-threatening."
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WHAT'S NEXT?

As hospitals continue to consolidate, this problem will only get worse, as patient care is shifted from lower-cost options in physician offices to hospital “outpatient departments.” And as these billions in health care costs accumulate for patients, insurance premiums increase for everyone.

 

Doctors know that when people aren’t able to afford the care they need, they develop worse health outcomes and suffer needlessly.

 

Thankfully, Congress has an opportunity to pass common sense, bipartisan solutions to protect patients from being charged more for the same care just because of where they receive it. Ensuring that patients pay the same price for the same service will save patients billions of dollars.

THE FACTS

On average, when a physician’s office is acquired by a hospital system, the prices increase by:

0 %

(Journal of Health Economics 2018)

In 2023, Medicare pays:

MORE
0 %

for an echocardiogram in a hospital outpatient department than a freestanding physician office.

(MedPAC June 2023 Report)

TAKE ACTION TODAY

We know that patients should be charged the same price when they receive the same medical service, no matter where they receive it. Take action today to tell Congress to pass common sense, bipartisan solutions that would make Same Service, Same Price a reality.

ENDORSE

Endorse the ‘Same Service, Same Price’ campaign by signing the physician letter to Congress.

ADD YOUR STORY

Have a patient affordability or hospital consolidation story? Share it to the storybank.

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READ THE OPEN LETTER:

Physicians Urge Congress to Support Site-Neutral Payment Solutions, Ensure Patients Receive Same Service for Same Price.

READ LETTER