For years, Medicare has paid hospitals and their affiliates more for services than it has to others. The reasons are complex, but this policy significantly incentivizes hospitals to absorb independent practices, creating “monopolies” that reduce competition and increase prices for everyone. Dr. Richard Kube, M.D., founder and CEO of the Prairie Spine and Pain Institute—an independent practice in Illinois—experiences first-hand how this policy and other top-down government regulations work against patients. Kube, an advocate for “site-neutral” payment, recently discussed this topic in Newsweek.
“Site-neutral payment would end the unfair policies promoting consolidation and encouraging higher prices,” Kube writes. “Such proposals have bipartisan support in Congress. Several congressional committees are currently debating a health reform package, including provisions to establish site neutrality under limited circumstances. This would be an essential first step, one that physicians nationwide hope will soon extend to other services. After all, reimbursing providers equally for the same service is only fair.”
In the podcast, Kube discusses:
- The reasons why Medicare pays more money to hospitals for the same service
- Examples of the differences in costs
- How this policy leads to increased consolidation in the healthcare industry and raises costs for everyone
- The track record of Congress and the administration, including under Trump and Biden, in promoting site-neutral payments
- The influence of the hospital lobby and the feasibility of implementing site-neutral payments
- Actions the public can take to support the advancement of more free-market policies
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.