With 64% of adults worried about affording healthcare costs, the search for meaningful solutions has never been more urgent. But one of the biggest drivers of out-of-pocket costs isn’t a medical necessity—it’s a billing tactic.
Dr. Raymond Kordonowy recently addressed this issue on a national stage, publishing an op-ed in the Washington Examiner titled “How Republicans can sway voters with reconciliation 3.0“ In it, he tackles the severe distortions in American healthcare pricing, specifically the federal rules that allow hospitals to charge significantly more than independent physicians for the exact same care.
The True Cost of Consolidation
When federal rules allow a hospital outpatient department to receive higher reimbursement than an independent physician’s office for identical services, it creates a dangerous incentive. Hospitals buy up independent practices, rebrand them, and send patients a much larger invoice. As Dr. Kordonowy points out in his piece, routine outpatient services can cost two to four times more simply because of the name on the building.
This consolidation leads to shrinking access, higher out-of-pocket costs, and the quiet disappearance of the independent physician.
Advocating for “site-neutral payment reform”—where Medicare pays the same rate for the same service, regardless of where it happens—Dr. Kordonowy draws a sharp line between necessary hospital care and routine care that belongs in the community:
“This does not mean hospitals are obsolete. True hospitals remain essential for trauma, surgery, intensive care, unstable sepsis, complex procedures, and emergency standby capacity. But it does mean Congress should stop confusing the building with the care. The hospital is not the therapeutic ingredient. Too often, it is simply the invoice.”
Our Commitment to Independent Care
At Internal Medicine, Lipid and Wellness Practice, we see the impact of these policies every day. As a proud independent clinic in Fort Myers, our patients are insulated from the inflated facility fees and corporate markups that define the hospital-owned model.
Dr. Kordonowy’s advocacy in Washington reflects our core mission at home: delivering high-quality, transparent, and affordable care directly to the patient. We believe you should pay for the medical care you receive—not the sign on the building.
Read the full op-ed: Washington Examiner (Note: Full access to the article may require a Washington Examiner subscription).