The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association has issued a statement applauding the recognition given to ASCs from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) in its March 2011 Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy.
Although MedPAC recommended a modest 0.5 percent increase for 2012 ASC Medicare payment rates, ASCA said it appreciated MedPAC's recognition of the impact "a growing divergence in rates between the ambulatory surgery center and hospital outpatient settings is having on the marketplace," according to the statement.
ASCA also applauded the report's recognition of the benefits offered by ASCs in comparison to HOPDs and the questions the report raised "regarding the payment differentiation between identical services provided in different settings, particularly with regard to differences in payment rates for services administered in ASCs versus HOPDs," according to the statement.
Finally, the MedPAC report cited the value in having CMS collect ASC quality data, and ASCA voiced its continued support for this as a means to promote industry transparency.
Read the statement on the MedPAC report from the ASC Association (pdf).
Read more from the ASC Association:
- ASCA Endorses Legislation Empowering FDA to Help Prevent Drug Shortages
- ASC Association Publishes 2011 Webinar Dates
- ASC Association Endorses Medical Liability Reform