Vernaglia Comments on Medicare Outpatient Payment Proposal

Partner Larry Vernaglia was quoted in a Bloomberg Law article, “Hospitals Decry Medicare Outpatient Payment Proposal,” about opposition to a proposal by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to stop paying more for the same type of clinic visit in a hospital outpatient setting than in a physician office setting.

Vernaglia said the CMS and advocates for site neutrality, including the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission and the HHS Office of Inspector General, see the growth of outpatient hospital services as “evidence of something nefarious.”

He also said the site-neutral aspect of the proposed rule will likely be challenged in the courts. “CMS is going against the wishes of Congress,” he said.