A new study released by the American Hospital Association (AHA) shows that “Medicare patients who receive care in a hospital outpatient department (HOPD) are more likely to come from geographically isolated and medically underserved communities and be sicker and more complex to treat than Medicare patients treated in independent physician offices (IPO).”
Medicare patients in the study seen in HOPDs are more likely to be “from rural and lower-income areas;” “living with more severe chronic conditions;” “dually-eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid;” “previously hospitalized or cared for in a hospital emergency department;” and “under 65 and eligible for Medicare based on disability.”
The findings “reinforce prior research on this topic and underscore why reimbursing hospitals and health systems the same as IPOs would put patient access to care at risk. Proposals under consideration by policymakers to do so — often referred to as “site-neutral” payment policies — fail to recognize the many legitimate and important differences in the types of services hospitals provide — as well as the types of patients and communities hospitals serve — compared to other providers.”
