A U.S. House subcommittee held a hearing Tuesday to discuss the Medicare payment system and examine associated regulations on physician-owned hospitals that may be stunting their growth.
The committee, led by Congressman Kevin Brady (R-Texas), referred to a panel of healthcare leaders including Joe Antos, PhD, from the American Enterprise Institute, Joe Minissale, president of Methodist McKinney (Texas) Hospital, Robert Steedley, president of Atlanta-based Barnes Healthcare Services and Richard Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association.
At the hearing, entitled "Improving Competition in Medicare: Removing Moratoria and Expanding Access," participants discussed a ban under the PPACA that keeps physician-owned hospitals from expanding and keeps new physician-owned hospitals from treating Medicare and Medicaid patients, according to a statement.
"It is our responsibility to protect Medicare for today's seniors and for future generations — increasing competition in the marketplace can help achieve that. We will continue to hold hearings on improving the payment system for hospitals and other healthcare providers over the course of this year and develop reforms that will help save Medicare for the long term," Mr. Brady said at the hearing, according to The Kingwood Observer.
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