Congress should reject site-neutral Medicare outpatient payments and delay scheduled Medicaid disproportionate share payment allotment cuts to states for two years, ASH urged House members in a recent message.

In response to proposals in H.R. 5378, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, ASH wrote to House members to urge them to delay for two years $16 billion in Medicaid DSH payments because those payments are so essential to the ability of community safety-net hospitals to serve their communities.

ASH also urged House members to reject site-neutral Medicare payments for services provided in hospital outpatient departments because of how important those payments are in enabling community safety-net hospitals to establish and operate clinics in medically underserved areas.

The House is expected to consider H.R. 5378 this week.

Learn more about the reasoning behind ASH’s positions on these issues from its message to members of the House of Representatives.