Site-Neutral Group Urges CMS To Eliminate Outpatient Facility Fees, Mandate Attestation

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, the site-neutral group states, so expanding site-neutral policies would significantly reduce Medicare spending and lower copays for beneficiaries, who are responsible for 20 percent of the cost of services. Congress has been...