September/October 2024 Issue of Becker's ASC Review
ON THE COVER
CMS floats 2.6% pay bump for ASCs
CMS on July 10 shared a proposed Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System rule that would update payments by 2.6%.
Where ASCs can find wins by 2030
ASCs have grown and evolved exponentially in a short span, placing them at the forefront of change in healthcare.
The AI debate: 6 ASC leaders weigh in
Healthcare leaders, clinicians and patients alike have mixed feelings about the use of AI in medicine, but it is clear that its development and implementation is one that much of the industry is watching.
Direct employer contracts gain steam in spine
Spine and orthopedic groups have seen an uptick in prior authorizations and denials over the last several years, and many are looking for innovative ways to sidestep insurers.
5 numbers shaping the colonoscopy market
Here are five numbers shaping the colonoscopy market right now:
ASCs a 'top capital priority' for Tenet
Tenet Healthcare's ASC powerhouse United Surgical Partners International is a "top capital priority," CEO Saum Sutaria, MD, said July 23 during the company's second quarter earnings call transcribed by Seeking Alpha.
What Gen Z wants to discuss 'early and often'
Generation Z workers are making it known they want to build a career path early.
The million-dollar question facing ASCs
ASC leaders and hospitals alike are facing major obstacles to profitability as operational costs soar and Medicare and private payer reimbursement rates sink.
How ASCs can ease hospitals' burden
A prevalent issue in healthcare for several years has been increased strain on physicians, hospitals and other healthcare workers — and ASCs may be the solution.
Improving polyp detection in colonoscopy: How two physician leaders are driving ADR with innovation
Increased demand for colonoscopies has prompted healthcare leaders to hone preventive screening, service delivery and innovation strategies in recent years.
ASC MANAGEMENT
What would site neutrality do for ASCs?
ASC leaders and physicians remain frustrated with Medicare and private payers over disparities in reimbursements between their facilities and hospital outpatient departments.
The states with the highest population to ASC ratios
While California has the most ASCs of any state, with 848 Medicare-certified facilities, West Virginia has the largest number of ASCs when compared to population size.
Hospitals continue to shutter services – what does this mean for ASCs?
More hospitals are shuttering services and facing financial challenges amid soaring costs and declining reimbursements.
ASC operating budgets climb
Annual ASC operating budgets ticked up last year, according to a survey from OR Manager.
UnitedHealthcare releases gold-card eligible procedure codes
On Sept. 1, UnitedHealthcare released a list of procedures that will be eligible for its new physician gold card program.
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
The AI debate: 6 ASC leaders weigh in
Healthcare leaders, clinicians and patients alike have mixed feelings about the use of AI in medicine, but it is clear that its development and implementation is one that much of the industry is watching.
The healthcare disruptors most affecting physicians
From CVS Health to artificial intelligence, five physician leaders joined Becker's to discuss the healthcare disruptors most affecting physicians.
Regulatory scrutiny leaving private equity 'hesitant' to invest in ASCs
Private equity has long shown interest in ASCs, but some industry leaders believe that heightened scrutiny of PE’s healthcare investments could dampen this trend.
The million-dollar question facing ASCs
ASC leaders and hospitals alike are facing major obstacles to profitability as operational costs soar and Medicare and private payer reimbursement rates sink.
How ASCs can ease hospitals' burden
A prevalent issue in healthcare for several years has been increased strain on physicians, hospitals and other healthcare workers — and ASCs may be the solution.
ORTHOPEDICS
The future of spine surgeon autonomy
From physician independence to data collection, spine surgeons are thinking about the future of autonomy in their field.
CMS to finalize new episode-based pay model for spinal fusions, joint replacements
CMS proposed the Transforming Episode Accountability Model, a new five-year, episode-based payment model affecting orthopedics and spine, in April and the final rule is expected to drop soon.
2 Hospital for Special Surgery leaders on the most 'exciting and opportune' area of spine
Biologics holds numerous possibilities for the future of spine surgery, and leaders with New York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery are exploring ways it can be leveraged.
What differentiates 1 orthopedic MSO from other private equity-backed groups
United Musculoskeletal Partners has taken a different approach to private equity, something that has been widely debated among independent orthopedic surgeons and groups.
Direct employer contracts gain steam in spine
Spine and orthopedic groups have seen an uptick in prior authorizations and denials over the last several years, and many are looking for innovative ways to sidestep insurers.
GASTROENTROLOGY
Independent vs. employed: where do gastroenterologists fall?
Between 2012 and 2022, the number of physicians who were self-employed dropped to 42%, according to the American Medical Association. This marks a clear shift from independence to employment –– but where do gastroenterologists fall?
AmSurg, LifeBridge Health partner to open GI ASC
ASC management services provider AmSurg has partnered with Owings Mills, Md.-based LifeBridge Health and Pikesville, Md.-based Woodholme Group to open a gastroenterology outpatient surgery center in Westminster, Md.
Colon cancer blood test raises eyebrows
In July, the FDA approved a new blood test for colorectal cancer screenings that was able to detect 83% of Stage 1, 2 or 3 colorectal cancers in studies.
Consolidation pushing colonoscopies to HOPDs, driving Medicare cost surge: Study
The vertical integration of physician groups and health systems is pushing colonoscopies to be performed in hospital outpatient departments over ASCs, ultimately driving Medicare and patient out-of-pocket costs up, according to a study published July 25 in Science Direct.
The uncertain future of colonoscopies
Recently, U.S cancer screening costs hit $43.2 billion annually. Screening colonoscopies accounted for $23.7 billion, or 55%, of that cost. All other colorectal cancer screening methods, such as stool and blood tests, accounted for only $3.8 billion.
TRANSACTIONS
Hospitals 'forced to embrace' ASCs in mad dash for outpatient surgery
Hospitals continue to look to ASCs as outpatient surgery becomes more popular and the need to cut costs grows.
HCA's ASC profitability up despite drop in Medicaid, self-pay volume
Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare saw outpatient surgery volume decline for the second consecutive quarter because of lower Medicaid and self-pay volumes, executives explained in a July 23 earnings call transcribed by Seeking Alpha.
Indiana medical office building sells for $2.6M
A 12,750-square-foot medical office building in Lafayette, Ind., has sold for $2.6 million, according to a July 17 report from ConnectCRE.
CMS floats 2.6% pay bump for ASCs
CMS on July 10 shared a proposed Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System rule that would update payments by 2.6%.
USPI inks deal with Florida orthopedic group
ASC chain United Surgical Partners International inked a partnership with the Tampa-based Florida Orthopedic Institute in the second quarter of 2024, according to parent company Tenet Healthcare's July 23 second quarter earnings call transcribed by Seeking Alpha.
HEALTHCARE NEWS
How important are national rankings to physician executives?
National rankings offer patients valuable insights into a health system's care quality, outcomes and performance, helping them make informed choices. But to what extent do these ratings influence health systems' strategies and conversations surrounding quality?
What Gen Z wants to discuss 'early and often'
Generation Z workers are making it known they want to build a career path early.
Experts weigh nurses practicing before NCLEX results
Amid a nationwide push to educate, train and hire more nurses at the bedside, and faster, Rhode Island passed a law that allows new nurses to practice before their NCLEX results are known. But patient safety is a concern.
Beth Israel Lahey Health CFO on the need to re-engineer healthcare
From supply chain disruptions and market volatility to inflationary pressures and skyrocketing labor costs, Cambridge, Mass.-based Beth Israel Lahey Health CFO Cindy Rios feels there's an industrywide need to re-engineer healthcare.
CHS' nurse retention rate at 'highest level in a decade,' says CEO
Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems has hired almost 3,000 registered nurses during the first half of 2024 and its nurse retention rate is "very strong at its highest level in a decade," CEO Tim Hingtgen said July 25 during the company's second-quarter earnings call.