Editor's Note The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) on December 7 applauded Congress for passing the 21st Century Cures Act, which includes two provisions that benefit Medicare patients and physicians in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). The first provision, Section 4012, directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to…

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Editor's Note The US House of Representatives on November 30 passed the 21st Century Cures Act that includes two provisions benefiting Medicare patients and physicians in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association reports. The first provision creates a public website that allows Medicare patients to compare differences…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on November 30 announced that to better align with Medicare surveyor guidelines, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) electing to use the Medicare-deemed option may receive adjustment to the length of time for the survey and number of surveyors. The Life Safety Code component of the survey…

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Editor's Note Patients who have a laparoscopic appendectomy can go home the same day of surgery with similar outcomes to patients who spent a night in the hospital, this study finds. In this analysis of 12,703 patients, those who were discharged the same day of surgery had an overall readmission…

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Ambulatory surgery center (ASC) quality scores became public for the first time in 2016. ASCs and regulators including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) say they are pleased to have documentation of their track records. But what do the scores really mean, and how useful, exactly, are they…

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Standing out from the competition in any industry requires the use of effective marketing tactics. In the case of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), these tactics can be divided into physician referral, recruitment, and retention; online; and internal and external marketing. Here is a closer look at each of these. (For…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on November 1 released a final rule that revises the hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) and ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment system for CY 2017. According to the rule, hospital off-campus facilities will no longer be paid the same…

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Ask any group of ambulatory surgery center (ASC) administrators their greatest concern, and the most likely answer will be “reimbursement.” Specifically, they will say Medicare payments do not keep up with their costs and revenue expectations. It does not help that the rules and formulas established by the Centers for…

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Recent developments, including the push to outpatient services, increased consumer engagement, and a focus on outcomes, have made ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) well positioned in the healthcare marketplace. But as with any marketplace, it takes bold thinking and thoughtful strategy to ensure an ASC stands out to consumers, physicians, and…

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Editor's Note A study presented at the 2016 American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgeons Annual Meeting found that total ankle replacements performed in ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) were about $4,000 less than those performed in inpatient facilities, the October Orthopedics Today reports. The 4-year study included 574 total ankle replacements…

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