Washington policymakers are coalescing around plans to expand Medicare payment parity next year, a policy shift that could see hospitals’ outpatient departments being paid the same rates as doctors’ offices for a growing number of common procedures.
In November, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services moved ahead with plans to align payments for drugs administered in doctors’ offices and hospital outpatient departments starting in 2026. These types of adjustments to payment policies could net over $6 billion in savings to the federal government over 10 years, according to an analysis of similar proposals from the Congressional Budget Office. ...