Families USA Submits Comments on Annual Rulemaking to Improve Health Equity, Value, and Coverage

Families USA submits two comment letters, co-signed by 28 total organizations, on the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) proposed rule for calendar year 2025.

Submitted on behalf of Consumers First, the first letter provides comments seeking to strengthen hospital outpatient payment and to acknowledge this rule as an important step toward realigning the fundamental economic incentives in our health care system to meet the needs of all families, children, seniors, adults, and employers by lowering health care costs and improving health. The second letter focuses on expanded access to health coverage and improved health, notably focusing on historically marginalized communities, to promote health equity and reduce health care disparities.

Letter on value issues includes:

• The need to strengthen and enforce hospital price transparency to unveil irrational hospital prices and address increasing health care consolidation.
• Establish a comprehensive site neutral policy that ensures consumers are paying the same price for services regardless of where they receive care.
• Improve hospital quality measurement to hold hospitals accountable for driving improvements to health equity.
• Address our nation's maternal health crisis through setting (for the first time) federal quality standards for the delivery of obstetric services.

Letter on coverage issues includes:

• Various measures to improve health care quality, equity and access, such as continuous coverage for children in Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), expanding Medicaid reimbursement to meet different communities' needs, and Medicare enrollment for formerly incarcerated individuals.

This annual comment period allows organizations such as ours to uplift the consumer voice and applaud the historical efforts being made to expand access to high-quality, affordable, and equitable care.