Editor's Note For the first time in over a decade, the OR Business Management Conference will feature a dedicated track tailored exclusively to ambulatory surgery center (ASC) leaders. This highly anticipated event, scheduled for February 10-12, 2025, at the Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, Florida, is designed to address the unique…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its 2025 Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program data, showing strong participation among Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs), ASC Focus December 20 reports. Of the 6,012 facilities included in the list, 5,714 will receive the full Annual Payment Update…

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Editor's Note Access to GLP-1 medications is improving as manufacturers, insurers, and policymakers address high demand, costs, and coverage challenges, Becker’s Hospital Review reported December 13. As detailed in the article, Eli Lilly’s partnership with telehealth company Ro now allows patients to obtain Zepbound prescriptions online and receive shipments directly…

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Editor's Note We’ve raised the bar—for the first time in 13 years, the OR Business Management Conference will feature a dedicated lineup of content specifically for ambulatory surgery center (ASC) leaders. Join an intimate gathering of ASC administrators, directors, and C-suite executives to dig deeper into financial, operational, and strategic…

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Editor's Note The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finalized a new rule establishing the Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model, a 6-year, mandatory initiative to enhance access to kidney transplants, improve care quality, and reduce disparities. Managed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the program…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its final rule for the 2025 calendar year, updating payment systems and quality reporting requirements across healthcare settings, JD Supra November 19 reports. Effective January 1, 2025, the rule outlines significant changes to Medicare payments and conditions for participation…

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Editor's Note More than 200,000 unnecessary back surgeries were performed on older adults from 2019 to 2021, costing Medicare approximately $2 billion and exposing patients to avoidable risks, according to a November 14 analysis from the Lown Institute. The evaluation focused on spinal fusion, laminectomy, and vertebroplasty procedures, which are…

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Editor's Note   In a November 12 letter to Congress, the American Hospital Association (AHA) outlined its priorities for the lame-duck legislative session, focusing on measures to stabilize hospitals and health systems facing significant financial and operational pressures. If enacted, these recommendations would support the nation’s healthcare infrastructure amid rising…

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Editor's Note Republicans secured a 51-seat majority in the US Senate after victories in Ohio and West Virginia, promising a power shift that will see GOP leaders shaping decisions on pressing issues like drug pricing, public health agency reform, and rural healthcare. On November 6, STAT published an overview of…

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Editor's Note Doctors facing inflationary and operational cost increases are decrying recently finalized 2025 Medicare reimbursement rates, according to a November 4 report in Healthcare Dive. The 2025 rates reduce physician payments by 2.9% while increasing rates for hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) by 2.9%, the outlet…

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