Vizient Shares Feedback on Improving Access to Rural Healthcare

IRVING, Texas, Oct. 4, 2023 – Yesterday, Vizient, Inc. offered feedback in response to the House Ways and Means Committee's Request for Information (RFI) on improving healthcare in rural and underserved areas. Through the RFI, Vizient shared insights on the ongoing challenges facing rural health providers and offered policy recommendations to improve care delivery, financing, reimbursement, and workforce options, among other topics.

In our letter, Vizient offered specific policy solutions to support the financial viability of rural healthcare providers. For example, Vizient encouraged the committee to support reimbursement policies and programs that account for rural providers’ unique challenges. Vizient reiterated concerns with damaging site-neutral payment policies that would reduce reimbursement for critical services and encouraged the committee to provide needed investments in rural healthcare without reducing reimbursement for other providers. Additionally, Vizient urged Congress to avoid potential cuts to Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments, protect the 340B Drug Pricing Program, invest in the healthcare workforce, and curb burdensome policies like extensive prior authorization requirements for providers.

To improve care delivery, Vizient also encouraged Congress to utilize tools, such as the patent pending Vizient Vulnerability Index^™, to understand social drivers of health in rural communities and help identify the unique challenges they face.

“We thank Chairman Jason Smith for his commitment to bolstering rural healthcare delivery,” said Shoshana Krilow, senior vice president of public policy and government relations for Vizient. “There is an array of policy options that could provide tangible improvements to the financial stability and sustainability of healthcare delivery in rural America. We encourage the committee to continue to engage with stakeholders and look forward to working collaboratively with policymakers to improve rural healthcare across the country.”

About Vizient, Inc.
Vizient, Inc., the nation's largest provider-driven healthcare performance improvement company, serves more than 60% of the nation's acute care providers, which includes 97% of the nation's academic medical centers, and more than 25% of the non-acute care market. Vizient provides expertise, analytics and advisory services, as well as a contract portfolio that represents more than $130 billion in annual purchasing volume. Vizient's solutions and services improve the delivery of high-value care by aligning cost, quality and market performance. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Vizient has offices throughout the United States. Learn more at www.vizientinc.com.