WSHA weighs in opposing Medicare site neutral payment policies

In a joint letter WSHA and the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems strongly opposed site neutral payment policies on provider-based hospital outpatient departments. Submitted to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, the letter was in response to a request for provider feedback on these policies. In addition, WSHA also sent our letter to Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a member of the Committee. WSHA’s letter raised concerns about the impact of payment cuts to future hospital based outpatient departments and the need to grandfather those departments that were under development when Congress enacted the policy. WSHA opposes site neutral payment policies on the basis that these outpatient departments s care for more low income and government pay patients, as well as comply with increased regulations compared to freestanding physician offices or ambulatory surgical centers.  (Chelene Whiteaker, chelenew@wsha.org)