MedPAC's 2019 commission report to Congress outlined data on ASC characteristics, including where the centers are located and whether they're for profit or nonprofit.
The geographic distribution of ASCs is uneven, according to MedPAC data from 2017. The state that had the most ASCs per Medicare beneficiary was Maryland, with 40 ASCs per 100,000 Part B beneficiaries. Wyoming, Alaska and Georgia followed Maryland at about 20 ASCs per 100,000 Part B beneficiaries. Washington, D.C., West Virginia, Alabama and Vermont all had the fewest ASCs per beneficiary at 4 per 100,000 beneficiaries.
According to the 2017 data, Vermont had only one ASC in the whole state.
2018 MedPAC provider services file data from CMS shows that most ASCs are for profit and urban:
For profit
Open in 2012: 93.6 percent
Open in 2017: 93.8 percent
New in 2017: 92.6 percent
Nonprofit
Open in 2012: 3.8 percent
Open in 2017: 3.5 percent
New in 2017: 5.8 percent
Government
Open in 2012: 2.7 percent
Open in 2017: 2.7 percent
New in 2017: 1.6 percent
Urban
Open in 2012: 92.5 percent
Open in 2017: 92.9 percent
New in 2017: 94.2 percent
Rural
Open in 2012: 7.4 percent
Open in 2017: 7.1 percent
New in 2017: 5.8 percent
Note: Some totals don't add up to 100 percent due to rounding.
2012
New: 176
Closed or merged: 114
Total: 5,216
2016
New: 159
Closed or merged: 90
Total: 5,474
2017
New: 189
Closed or merged: 60
Total: 5,603
Average percentage change
2012-2016: 1 percent
2016-2017: 2.4 percent