Contact Congress about S. 1629: Same Care, Lower Cost Act

Medicare would pay the same rate for many outpatient services across approved care settings. The Health and Human Services Secretary would choose the services each year. Emergency, critical care, and trauma visits would follow a separate payment setup.

Modern Action explains legislation in plain English, helps you choose whether to support, oppose, or ask for changes, and drafts a message tied to the bill, your stance, and the elected officials who can act on it.

Same Care, Lower Cost Act is a Senate bill in committee. The latest recorded action: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Latest action on S. 1629: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Who this affects: This bill mainly affects Medicare, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and other outpatient providers. It could also affect people with Medicare because their out-of-pocket costs often depend on how much Medicare pays. The biggest direct changes would fall on providers that now get different Medicare payments for the same service based on where it is done.

Why this matters: Medicare can pay different amounts for the same outpatient service depending on where the patient gets it. This bill would reduce that difference for many services by using one rate across approved settings. That could change where providers offer care, how much Medicare spends, and what some patients pay out of pocket. The size and direction of those effects would depend on future decisions by the Health and Human Services Secretary.

Key provisions in S. 1629

• The rule starts in 2027. It applies every year after that.
• The Health and Human Services Secretary must pick at least 66 outpatient service groups each year. These groups are called ambulatory payment classifications, or APCs, and the Secretary may add more if doctors can safely provide them in the covered settings.
• Medicare fee-for-service would pay one rate for each selected service group. Fee-for-service means Medicare pays providers directly for covered care.
• Covered settings include hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgical centers. The Secretary may also add other outpatient settings.
• Emergency room, critical care, and trauma visits in hospital outpatient departments would move into Comprehensive APCs. That means Medicare bundles all services on the same claim into one payment.

How Modern Action helps you take action on S. 1629

You do not have to start with a blank letter. Modern Action turns the bill, your position, and the relevant congressional context into a message you can edit and send. The goal is to make contacting Congress clear, specific, and useful without forcing you to parse bill text or figure out the right office on your own.

Questions people ask about S. 1629

What is S. 1629?

Medicare would pay the same rate for many outpatient services across approved care settings. The Health and Human Services Secretary would choose the services each year. Emergency, critical care, and trauma visits would follow a separate payment setup.

How do I support or oppose S. 1629?

Choose support, oppose, or ask for changes on Modern Action. The action flow drafts the message for you and keeps the wording tied to this bill.

Who should I contact about S. 1629?

Modern Action uses your location to route the action to the congressional offices relevant to the bill and your representation.

How does Modern Action help me act on S. 1629?

Modern Action gives you bill-specific context, lets you choose support, opposition, or changes, and drafts a message from your position and reasons.