Medicare update A new Medicare proposal from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) could reduce costs for some beneficiaries by cutting a longstanding payment disparity that often causes patients to pay more for the same service simply because of where they receive it. The proposal is part of CMS's proposed 2027 outpatient payment rule and would expand "site-neutral" payments for certain imaging services provided at hospital-owned outpatient facilities. That includes a wide range of standard X-rays, CT and MRI scans. CMS estimates the change would reduce beneficiary cost-sharing obligations by approximately $70 million in 2027 alone while lowering Medicare spending by roughly $260 million. Why It Matters For years, Medicare has often paid more when certain outpatient services are performed in a hospital-owned outpatient department than when the exact same service is provided in a physician's office or ambulatory surgery center. Those higher payments can translate into higher coinsurance costs for Medicare beneficiaries. THE SEA RANCH, CALIFORNIA - November 12, 2018: Medicare Health Insurance and Social Security card on medical report with stethoscope. Medicare is a national health insurance program provided by the United States for seniors 65 and olde