• The Same Care, Lower Cost Act addresses Medicare's billing structure that allows hospitals to charge more for outpatient services.
• The bill aims to implement site-neutral payments, potentially saving Medicare and taxpayers billions of dollars over 10 years.
• Several organizations support the bill, citing its potential to reduce healthcare costs, increase transparency, and provide patients with more options.

Senator John Kennedy (R-La.) introduced the Same Care, Lower Cost Act to address a flaw in Medicare's billing structure. This flaw allows hospital systems to charge patients for outpatient care at higher hospital rates, even when the same care could be safely and effectively provided in non-hospital settings. The bill seeks to correct this by implementing 'site-neutral' payments, ensuring that Medicare pays the same amount for a service regardless of where it is provided. The goal is to reduce healthcare costs for patients and taxpayers while promoting greater transparency and patient choice.

• What: The Same Care, Lower Cost Act seeks to establish site-neutral payments under Medicare, ensuring equal payment rates for the same services regardless of the care setting.
• Who: Senator John Kennedy (R-La.) introduced the bill. Key supporters include Better Solutions for Healthcare, AMAC Action, Free2Care, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Americans for Prosperity, the Libre Initiative, and Concerned Veterans for America.
• When: The bill was introduced recently (implied). The issue stems from a provision in the 2015 Bipartisan Budget Act.
• Where: The bill impacts healthcare facilities nationwide that accept Medicare.

The Same Care, Lower Cost Act addresses a long-standing issue in Medicare reimbursement. The current system incentivizes hospitals to charge higher rates for outpatient services, even when those services could be provided at a lower cost in other settings. By implementing site-neutral payments, the bill aims to level the playing field and reduce unnecessary healthcare spending. The potential savings, as estimated by the CBO and MedPAC, are significant. The broad support from various organizations suggests that this reform has the potential to garner bipartisan support.

Patients should only pay for the care they receive, not for the sign on the door or where they get treated. My Same Care, Lower Cost Act is a common-sense reform that expands patients’ health care options, creates greater transparency and reduces taxpayer burden.

High healthcare costs driven by dishonest hospital billing practices leave patients and employers with unsustainable financial burden. This legislation would put a check and balance on hospital pricing, and its introduction reflects the American public’s concern with how corporate hospital systems conduct business

Site-neutral payments simply make sense. Medicare should pay the same price for the same service regardless of whether the service is provided in a physicians’ office or in a hospital outpatient department.

The Same Care, Lower Cost Act represents an effort to reform Medicare's payment system and reduce healthcare costs by addressing the issue of site-specific billing disparities. The bill aims to create a more level playing field for healthcare providers and provide patients with more affordable care options. Its success will depend on its ability to navigate the legislative process and garner support from both parties.