Josh Troast, director of ambulatory surgical services for Muskegon (Mich.) Surgical Associates, joined Becker's to discuss what ASCs need to thrive in the next five years.
Editor's note: This response was edited lightly for brevity and clarity.
Josh Troast: Margins for ASCs are typically smaller and more difficult to establish when compared to a hospital, thus efficiency in operations and costs are necessary for ASC viability. ASCs are crucial to lowering the cost of care and are becoming more attractive to payers due to the cost effectiveness.
Patients are also driving the demand to the ASC as they continue to encounter higher deductibles and increasing patient responsibility for payment. Over the next five years it will be crucial for payers, both commercial and federal, to recognize the shift in care to the ASC environment and to align payor incentives and strategies aggressively around this environment. Improved patient outcomes and lowered overall cost of care can be achieved with ASC partnership, but it will require a concerted effort to recognize the value of the ASC.