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ASCA’s Life Safety Code for ASCs virtual course is now available on demand! Purchase this course today for a comprehensive overview of CMS and NFPA requirements for ASCs. Attendees will get the guidance they need to design and implement long-term, low-stress solutions that can help their ASC remain in continuous compliance with CMS’ physical environment mandates. The program is also available for purchase as part of the 2023 Virtual Course Bundle— a package that gives you three courses for the price of two! Learn more about the course in this ASC Focus article. |
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Get a full year of top-quality, ASC-specific webinars with ASCA’s 2024 Webinar All-Access Pass. This popular pass includes every webinar in ASCA’s 2024 series at a fraction of the full purchase price. In addition, ASCA has restructured pricing on 2024 education to make the webinar series more affordable than ever. The 2024 Webinar Series includes eight webinars that cover a variety of topics, including delivery of patient care, beneficial business practices, infection prevention, human resources and more. |
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Today is the last day to submit data for the third quarter (Q3) of ASCA’s 2023 Clinical & Operational Benchmarking Survey. This valuable online resource provides data you can use to improve clinical outcomes, staff indicators, billing performance and more at your facility. If you haven’t already, subscribe today so you can submit your data and receive valuable comparison data. ASCA members save $150 on subscriptions to the 2023 survey. Purchase your subscription now. |
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NEW! State of the Industry Report: Best Practices & Proven Data for Optimizing ASC OperationsLeading surgery centers understand the importance of using data to inform business decisions. The 2023 report is compiled from industry experts & HST's unique data to help you:
- Learn about best practices
- See key process steps for major operational areas
- See data benchmarks to compare your performance against others
Read the full report here.
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ASCA’s National Advocacy Day will return February 26–28, 2024. National Advocacy Day gathers engaged members of the ASC community from across the country to advocate for their facilities and the high-quality care they deliver. It is an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with your members of Congress and their staff to educate them about the many benefits ASCs offer and issues currently impacting their ability to provide care. Help ASCA gauge interest in next year’s event by completing a brief survey. Please note that submitting this form will not register you for the event. |
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Changes in ASC Reimbursement and Implications for Interventional Pain ProceduresAs an industry leader, the Medtronic Health Economics and Patient Access team is committed to the ongoing educating of our customers, making them aware of changes that can impact coding, coverage, and payment in Pain Interventions. As such, we invite you to our latest overview that highlights the upcoming Tricare reimbursement methodology changes for Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) for Interventional Pain Procedures that will take effect October 1, 2023. You may access this on-demand presentation here.
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On October 13, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 525 into law. The bill increases the minimum wage for healthcare employees from $15.50 to $25 over a five-year period. ASCs will see their first wage increases effective June 1, 2024. Read this Digital Debut to learn more. |
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On October 20, Representative Gregory Steube (R-FL) joined the Outpatient Surgery Quality and Access Act of 2023 as a cosponsor. Earlier this spring, ASC advocates met with the congressman and urged support for the legislation during National Advocacy Day.
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Half of working-age Americans struggle to pay for health care, and 1 in 3 Americans owe money to a hospital, doctor, or other health care provider, a new survey shows. The survey by The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that focuses on equitable access to health care, also reports that nearly 2 in 5 people skipped or delayed medical care or didn't fill a prescription in the past year because they couldn't afford it.
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USA Today (10/27/23) Ken Alltucker
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The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) of Deerfield, Illinois, released its newly enhanced Ambulatory Surgery Considerations for Obesity and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Toolkit. The much-anticipated toolkit emphasizes that healthcare providers must be equipped with updated knowledge on how to effectively identify and ensure the safety of patients with obesity and/or obstructive sleep apnea throughout the surgical process, according to a release.
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ASC Focus (10/01/23)
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The Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG) issued Advisory Opinion 23-07 on Oct. 7, a favorable decision regarding a proposed arrangement in which a physician practice would implement a bonus compensation structure based on the net profits the practice receives for services provided by its physician employees at its ambulatory surgery centers. The HHS-OIG concluded that the proposed arrangement, based on the specific facts provided, would not constitute illegal remuneration under the federal Anti-Kickback Statute or constitute grounds for imposing sanctions under the HHS-OIG’s exclusion authority and the civil monetary penalty provisions of the Social Security Act.
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National Law Review (10/26/23) Heather F. Delgado; Jason D. Schultz; Jane Sitorius
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Today, the Biden-Harris Administration (the Administration), through the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury, along with the Office of Personnel Management, released a proposed rule on the No Surprises Act’s Federal independent dispute resolution (IDR) process. The Administration has demonstrated its commitment to implementing the No Surprises Act to protect consumers from surprise billing and is consistently making progress in improving the Federal IDR process.
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CMS Press Release (10/27/23)
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A new survey issued by the independent, nonprofit patient safety organization ECRI and its affiliate, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, reveals ongoing national medication, medical supply, and medical equipment shortages are harming patients. According to the two groups, the survey reveals that providing appropriate care is becoming increasingly challenging, leading to instances of unsafe practices, compromised care, and harmful, otherwise avoidable patient safety incidents.
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ECRI Institute (10/13/2023)
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Yesterday, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) co-hosted a roundtable discussion on the cybersecurity challenges that the U.S. healthcare and public health sector system faces, and how Government and industry can work together to close the gaps in resources and cyber capabilities. Ahead of the roundtable, CISA and HHS released a cybersecurity tool kit that includes resources tailored for the healthcare and public health sector.
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HHS News Release (10/26/23)
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About ASCAMission: The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) is the national membership association that represents ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and provides advocacy and resources to assist ASCs in delivering high-quality, cost-effective ambulatory surgery to all the patients they serve. About Us: At ASCA, we are eager to help you become better acquainted with our nation's ASCs and the people who own and operate them. We are also eager to help you develop policies on ASC-related issues. If you have questions, please contact us. We'll put you in touch with the experts and, if you like, arrange for you to visit an ASC in your area. Contact Us: Advertising inquiries should be addressed to Chris Schriever or Alex Yewdell at 202.337.1897 or at advertising@ascassociation.org. Follow ASCA on
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