SPOTLIGHT: Payment changes could impact ASCs

Ambulatory care has skyrocketed in recent years; some estimates claim that 60 to 70 percent of all surgical procedures in the US are done on an outpatient basis. Earlier this month, CMS said it would expand the list of procedures approved for patients to receive at ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). On the downside, CMS also said that it would pay ASCs reimbursement rates similar to those of hospitals. The Business Journal of Milwaukee observes that CMS's proposed changes could have a profound impact the entire ASC industry. There are more than 3,300 ASCs throughout the United States, some of which are single-specialty centers and others which treat a wide variety of therapeutic areas. Facilities that offer diverse treatments won't be as affected by the changes as those who focus on a single specialty, like pain management. Previously, these ACSs could treat problems and receive payment comparable to what hospitals get, but with less overhead. CMS's changes would end that set-up. "A single specialty, if it's affected, is going to be affected in a big way," said Dianne Wallace, president of the Wisconsin Surgery Center Association. Article and Press release