ASCs face Medicare reimbursement challenges

Editor's Note

The gap in Medicare reimbursement rates between ASCs and hospital outpatient departments continues to grow, the Wisconsin Health News reports.

Reimbursement rates for hospital outpatient departments are updated using the hospital market basket, but rates for ASCs are updated with the consumer price index.

The result is that ASCs now get 55% of the amount paid to hospital outpatient departments. 

A disparity in Medicare reimbursement rates continues to grow between ambulatory surgical centers and hospital outpatient departments, said Ambulatory Surgical Center Association COO Steve Miller during a visit to Wisconsin last week. Medicare reimbursement rates for hospital outpatient departments are updated using the hospital market basket, which includes factors that account for the cost of healthcare.