As prior authorization requirements grow in the outpatient space, ASC administrators have to find ways to balance finances at their centers. For one administrator, communication with physicians and payers has helped the center manage prior authorization rules.

Angela Mattioda is vice president of revenue cycle management services for Surgical Notes. Here she answers three RCM-focused questions.

Whether it’s a young, single-specialty ASC trying to get its financials in order; a large, multi-specialty center with years of success under its belt; or any other type of surgery center, all types of ASCs outsource their revenue cycle. And these different ASCs often have varying reasons for why they choose outsourcing over in-house revenue cycle management.

Texas Eye and Cataract in Waxahachie has begun accepting the cryptocurrency bitcoin as payment for LASIK procedures, according to an April 20 practice news release.

The 2 percent Medicare pay cut for physicians has been put on hold through the end of the year, according to a report from the American Medical Association.

Empire BlueCross BlueShield in New York updated its coverage policy this year to drive more surgical procedures to ASCs.

James Spina, 63, who owned and operated a Middletown, N.Y.-based pain clinic, was sentenced to nine years in prison for his role in a healthcare fraud scheme, according to an April 13 news release from the office of Audrey Strauss, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Here are seven reimbursement updates for ASCs from the first quarter:

Some ASC leaders think President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan could be a win for ASCs. 

More high-acuity, high-reimbursing procedures are moving to outpatient settings, presenting a major financial opportunity for surgery centers.

A Las Vegas physician filed a criminal complaint against a former employee, alleging the employee diverted funds and obtained fraudulent loans in the physician's name, according to a report in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The pandemic delayed patients' preventive screenings and elective procedures, which ASCs experienced firsthand. Some ASC leaders think President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief law could help mitigate those losses.

The Justice Department is investigating emails from Physician Partners of America, a Tampa, Fla.-based physician practice and ASC chain, according to a Tampa Bay Times report.

From Medicaid work requirements to joint ventures, here are six updates from top health insurers in March:

Nearly 11.5 million people purchased health insurance in 2020 through a state marketplace, also known as individual health insurance, according to ValuePenguin, a resource for consumer financial decisions.

Healthcare is front of mind for lawmakers and government agencies on Capitol Hill as a new bill extending the moratorium on Medicare pay cuts makes its way through Congress and HHS aims to expand access to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Jamie Heater, RN, Compass Surgical Partners' vice president of facility development, and Will Holding, Compass' vice president of development, joined the "Becker's Spine & Orthopedics Podcast" to outline how Compass is preparing for the increase in CMS procedure approval. 

UnitedHealthcare is the largest insurer in the U.S., according to a March 2021 Value Penguin report. 

Incomplete and inaccurate documentation can hinder appropriate and timely reimbursement, placing an ASC's financial stability at risk. 

During Becker's Orthopedic, Spine + ASC Virtual Event on March 18, two industry leaders discussed the migration of spine and orthopedic procedures to surgery centers and how they are looking at growth in 2021.