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Committee to Protect Health Care @protecthealthcare.medsky.social

Why are patients paying more just because the logo on the door changed? Hospital systems are buying up doctor's offices & raising prices. It's called hospital consolidation, & it's costing patients. Site-neutral payment reform can help fix it. #SameServiceSamePrice

Patients are watching their health care bills skyrocket, even when nothing about their care has changed. Same doctor, same treatment, same location. So why the higher price tag? [Committee to Protect Health Care logo]Here's what's happening: Large hospital systems are buying up independent physician practices and rebranding them as "hospital outpatient facilities." When that happens, they can bill 2 to 4 times more for the exact same care just because of the new label. Studies have shown that nothing about the care improves, in fact, in some cases, care worsens after hospital consolidation.It doesn't have to be this way. Site-neutral payment reform means patients pay the same price for the same care--no matter who owns the building. It's a common sense step toward: Lowering patient costs, slowing harmful consolidation, preserving competition and access. Congress can act now to make it happen. Same Service, Same Price: Site-Neutral Payment ReformReal patient examples of price hikes after consolidation: allergy skin test $176 at independent physician practice (IPP)and $719 at hospital-owned outpatient facility (HOOP). Radiation therapy $156 at IPP; $377 at HOOP. Steroid injection $30 at IPP; $1,394 at HOOP (yes, this is real!). Child's psych visit at IPP $20; $523 at HOOP.

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