The Alliance for Site Neutral Payment Reform commended CMS for expanding site neutral payment policy through the 2019 Outpatient Prospective Payment System and ASC proposed rule.
Here are four takeaways:
1. CMS proposed implementing site-neutral payments for outpatient clinic visits, as well as services in new clinical families of services, performed at all off-campus provider-based departments.
2. The alliance praised CMS for acknowledging most off-campus PBDs still receive full OPPS payments and that payment disparities between freestanding physician offices and certain off-campus PBDs "inflate Medicare spending."
3. The alliance urged CMS to consider equalizing payment rates for chemotherapy services, imaging procedures and certain cardiology, orthopedic, and gastroenterology services. It also encouraged CMS to apply site-neutral policies to all clinically appropriate off-campus PBD services.
4. The alliance is a coalition of patient advocates, providers, payers and employers advocating for policies to expand site neutral payment policies across outpatient settings.
Read the alliance's letter to CMS here.