| Hello John, It’s an enormous waste of taxpayer dollars — one that’s putting extra strain on our health care system and everyone who depends on it. I’m talking about the policy that allows Medicare to pay hospital-employed doctors significantly more than independent doctors for providing the exact same service — even when the service isn’t performed in a hospital setting. This outdated and flawed approach drains Medicare’s finances and encourages hospitals to buy up independent practices to take advantage of the higher payments. The result? It has big implications for your family’s health care costs. Skyrocketing health care costs impact everyone, not just Medicare beneficiaries. - Families pay more,
- insurance premiums climb higher,
- and the government burns through taxpayer money at an unsustainable rate.
But here’s some good news: Congress is working on a solution to end this dishonest billing scheme. A proposed bill would mandate “site-neutral” payments, requiring Medicare to pay hospital-employed doctors at the same lower rate it pays independent doctors. It’s simple. Same service, same price. This commonsense reform would eliminate the financial incentives that drive consolidation in health care, leveling the playing field and promoting more competition in the industry. The potential savings are staggering. According to the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, adopting site-neutral payments could result in: - Reducing total national health expenditures by up to $458 billion over the next decade,
- Lowering commercial insurance premiums by up to $386 billion,
- Saving patients more than $90 billion in out-of-pocket expenses, and
- Cutting the federal budget deficit by as much as $157 billion.
Yes, you read that right — fixing this broken billing system could slash U.S. health care costs by nearly half a trillion dollars. And it would directly benefit patients by making health care more affordable while ensuring Medicare remains sustainable for future generations. Here’s why this isn’t a done deal: Despite the overwhelming benefits, powerful special interests, including large hospital groups, are lobbying hard to block this bill. - They profit from the status quo and don’t want to see these policies change. But health care should work for patients, not special interests.
This is where you come in. It’s time for Congress to listen to you, not the lobbyists. Congress may be considering a health care bill this fall — and fixing this problem should be part of it! So, please, contact your elected officials and urge them to support site-neutral Medicare payments. Let them know that you want an end to dishonest billing that raises costs for everyone. | 
