Story perspectives

Hospital CEOs Defend High Colonoscopy Fees at House Hearing

4/30/2026

Summary

Hospital CEOs Defend Pricing

The House Ways and Means Committee heard CEOs of hospital systems defend pricing.
Rep. Jason Smith said fed up, citing colonoscopy fees of $656 versus $1,222, while Rep. Lloyd Doggett and Rep. Richard Neal called the hearing a Medicaid-cut deflection.
Hospital CEOs said fees reflect low Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, while Health Affairs said hospitals comprised one-third of U.S. health spending in 2024, $1.6 trillion.

Summary

Jason Smith Proposal

An ad claimed New York-Presbyterian’s CEO pay rose from $8.9 million to over $23 million while charity care is about 1 % of costs.
The ad cited an 880 % revenue jump from a federal drug program and a $750 million settlement.
WokeHospitals.com criticized the Dalio Center, the transgender-care program, and CommonSpirit’s $100 million DEI partnership with Morehouse.
Rep. Jason Smith floated a site-neutral payment proposal to align Medicare outpatient hospital rates with physician-office rates.

History

Historical Context

President Bill Clinton signed the 1997 Balanced Budget Act, which reduced Medicare hospital payments and accounted for $112 billion in Medicare cuts. Those cuts sparked cost-shifting that hospitals still cite. Today Rep. Jason Smith and Rep. Lloyd Doggett are questioning CEOs of systems such as CommonSpirit over high colonoscopy fees, a dispute rooted in the act’s reimbursement reforms.

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Hospital CEOs Defend Pricing

The House Ways and Means Committee heard CEOs of hospital systems defend pricing.
Rep. Jason Smith said fed up, citing colonoscopy fees of $656 versus $1,222, while Rep. Lloyd Doggett and Rep. Richard Neal called the hearing a Medicaid-cut deflection.
Hospital CEOs said fees reflect low Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, while Health Affairs said hospitals comprised one-third of U.S. health spending in 2024, $1.6 trillion.

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