A broad coalition in New York is backing state laws that might impose a first-in-the-nation cap on medical payments — geared toward hospitals that personal or home outpatient clinics and cost larger charges than non-public practices.
Beneath the “Fair Pricing Act”, affected person billing prices could be capped at 150% of charges set by the federal Medicare program for procedures for senior residents.
A joint committee consisting of the highly effective constructing employees union Native 32 BJ and an arm of the Actual Property Board of New York is bankrolling a seven determine media advert blitz to construct assist for the invoice.
“Two patients walk into their local doctor’s offices for the same procedure but pay a very different price. This is happening all over New York because big hospitals are taking over independent doctors’ offices and driving up the cost of routine procedures,” the 30-second TV advert says.
“Health care shouldn’t cost more because a hospital owns the building. The same procedure should cost the same fair price.”
The advert — paid for by the 32BJ Labor Trade Cooperation Belief Fund — offers examples exhibiting obtrusive disparities.
At present, the invoice for a kid’s flu shot at a physician’s workplace might be $23, however at a hospital outpatient clinic, it’s $183, advocates say.
Administering IV fluid to a senior affected person at a physician’s workplace is $566, lower than half the $1,719 charged at a hospital-run outpatient clinic.
An MRI to test for abdomen ache is $1,308 at a hospital clinic, greater than double the $659 at a physician’s workplace.
Among the many teams backing the proposed regulation embrace the NAACP, Hispanic Federation, Asian-American Federation and NY Immigration Coalition.
“Big hospitals are treating routine medical services like a game of monopoly, where every time a patient lands on a building they own a higher price is charged,” stated Manny Pastreich, president of Native 32BJ of the Service Workers Worldwide Union.
“Our members count on being able to go to their local doctor’s office to take their kid for a flu shot, get an MRI for a balky knee or an IV bag for dehydration and they shouldn’t have to pay inflated prices just because a big hospital took over that facility.”
State Sen. Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan), who chairs the influential finance committee, simply launched the “Fair Pricing Act.”
“We cannot let Big Hospitals become the next Big Oil or Big Steel, with monopoly control over everything and people forced to pay more for the same basic procedure. By capping the cost of outpatient services through the Fair Pricing Act we can level the playing field and ensure that patients have access to the same fair price wherever they go for their healthcare needs,” stated Krueger.
Except for the onerous cap, the measure would ban including facility charges to routine outpatient companies, thereby stopping extreme funds to hospitals for medical doctors’ workplace companies
State businesses — together with the state lawyer normal — would implement the caps and impose penalties for law-breaking and “deceptive practices.”
Advocates stated the decrease medical bills for sufferers and insurers like state and native governments and union well being funds will make medical care extra inexpensive.
About 60% of medical doctors’ observe are hospital or company owned and almost 80% of physicians are staff of hospitals or company entities, Native 32 BJ stated.
The invoice, if enacted, would impression main hospital networks corresponding to New York Presbyterian, Northwell and NYU Langone Well being.
The lobbying group for hospitals opposes “the terrible bill.”
“Hospitals and doctor’s offices are not the same. Only hospitals deliver care 24/7 and accept any patient who walks through their doors. Hospitals are also subject to myriad regulatory requirements that doctor’s offices are not,” stated Higher New York Hospital Affiliation president Kenneth Raske.
Rakse stated the invoice “ignores” monetary pressures hospitals face.
“Does 32BJ have a magic wand that will eliminate severe Medicaid underpayments and staggering numbers of payment delays and denials by for-profit insurance companies?,” Raske requested.
“If the goal is to force New Yorkers to seek their care in Philadelphia, this bill would do it. Rather than push harmful public policy, the bill’s supporters should join the hospital community in fighting for higher Medicaid payment rates and pushing back on health insurance companies’ abusive practices.”
