Site-Neutral Policies Disproportionately Harm Essential Hospitals and At-Risk Communities Health Policy Essentials

Essential hospitals operate large ambulatory networks to bring care to people where they live and work. These clinics often are the only source of primary and specialty care for underserved people. This reach into communities is key to ensuring continuity of care for patients who face health risks due to lack of transportation, housing insecurity, and other social factors. But so-called “site-neutral” payment policies threaten that care by making clinic expansion financially unsustainable.