The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health recently held a hearing to discuss the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) annual report, during which several members of Congress spoke in support of ambulatory surgery centers and called for parity between ambulatory surgery center and hospital outpatient department Medicare payment rates, according a report from the ASC Association in its ASCA Government Affairs Update.
During the hearing, Reps. Tom Price, MD (R-GA), Sam Johnson (R-TX) and Diane Black (R-TN) expressed arguments for why ASCs deserve to receive higher Medicare reimbursement and the negative implications of the variation between ASC and HOPD payment rates. MedPAC Chairman Glenn Hackbarth said there is "some evidence that the payment discrepancy is causing problems" and confirmed that MedPAC is looking into the issue, according to the report.
The latest MedPAC report had the Commission recommending a 0.5 percent increase for ASCs for their 2012 Medicare payment rates and a 1 percent increase for HOPDs.
Read the report in the ASCA Government Affairs Update about ASC Medicare payment rates (pdf). For more information you can also contact the Steve Miller at the ASCA at smiller@ascassociation.org.
Read more from the ASC Association:
- ASC Association: Invite Congress to Tour Your Surgery Center Over Easter Recess
- ASC Association Applauds MedPAC's Recognition of Surgery Centers
- California Ambulatory Surgery Association Fights Proposed Workers' Comp Reductions