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2020 OPPS Rule Threatens Access to Care for Vulnerable

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Statement attributable to:
Beth Feldpush, DrPH
Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy
America’s Essential Hospitals

WASHINGTON — The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) jeopardizes access to care in underserved communities and flouts court rulings on its unlawful policies by publishing today’s final rule on the 2020 Outpatient Prospective Payment System.

By plowing ahead with damaging cuts to hospitals in the 340B Drug Pricing Program and ignoring clear congressional intent by expanding cuts to grandfathered provider-based outpatient clinics, CMS undermines the foundation of care for the nation’s most vulnerable people. The agency also prolongs confusion and uncertainty for hospitals by maintaining unlawful policies it has been told to abandon in clear judicial directives.

The nation’s essential hospitals can ill afford sustained, deep reductions to key support for the care they provide to low-income and uninsured patients. Their commitment to this mission means they operate with barely positive margins, on average, and would struggle to serve their communities should these cuts persist.

Essential hospitals will continue to vigorously challenge policymaking that puts access to care at risk.

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About America’s Essential Hospitals
America’s Essential Hospitals is the leading champion for hospitals and health systems dedicated to high-quality care for all, including the most vulnerable. We support our more than 300 members with advocacy, policy development, research, and education. Communities depend on essential hospitals to provide specialized, lifesaving services; train the health care workforce; advance public health and health equity; and coordinate care. Essential hospitals innovate and adapt to lead the way to more effective and efficient care. Learn more at essentialhospitals.org.

Contact:
Carl Graziano
cgraziano@essentialhospitals.org
202.585.0102

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