|
|
Purchase the 2024 Virtual Course Bundle to take advantage of incredible savings on your 2024 education. ASCA has restructured pricing to make next year’s virtual education more affordable than ever—so the bundle gives you four courses for less than the price of three. In addition, the bundle includes four unique registrations—one for each course— so up to four separate staff members can participate and earn CE credits. The bundle kicks off January 8–9 with Coding & Reimbursement for ASCs (formerly the Coding & Reimbursement Seminar). Don’t miss out— register today! |
|
|
|
Before the end of the year, register for the ASCA 2024 Conference & Expo, taking place April 17–20 in Orlando, Florida. Next year’s conference features a slew of exciting new features as well as returning favorites. Restructured conference rates mean registration costs are reduced by up to 40 percent! This new pricing model features the lowest registration rates we’ve offered in years. It will help you save money and make attending ASCA 2024 more accessible than ever before. Register today! |
|
|
|
Register today for ASCA’s 2024 National Advocacy Day, taking place February 26–28. 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.
|
|
Discover the State of the ASC Industry Report!45+ chapters of industry research including 125+ data-backed benchmarks to help you optimize your ASC operations using best practices, operational insights, and more. Read the full report.
|
|
|
|
On December 11, the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act (H.R. 5378) by a vote of 320–71. If enacted, effective January 1, 2026, the bill will require ASCs to disclose to the public all standard charges and prices, including information relevant to ASCs on the list of 300 shoppable services or an indication that such service is not furnished by the ASC. This price transparency provision is similar to the price transparency legislation H.R. 4822 that ASCA reported on over the summer. Read this Digital Debut to learn more. |
|
8 Top Reasons Orthopedic ASCs Are Outsourcing Their BillingOrthopedic procedures will be one of the specialties fueling growth in ASC volume in the coming years. To capitalize on this growth potential, orthopedic ASCs are increasingly outsourcing their revenue cycle management. Learn eight of the top reasons why.
|
|
|
|
|
On December 12, Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) joined the Outpatient Surgery Quality and Access Act of 2023 as a cosponsor. You can help gain further support for this crucial legislation by using ASCA’s template letter to reach out to your lawmakers and ask them to sign on to the bill as a cosponsor.
|
|
|
Happy Holidays! ASCA News Digest to Return January 3
|
|
The ASCA News Digest will not be released next week. The next edition will be published on Wednesday, January 3.
ASCA wishes you a safe and happy holiday season!
|
|
|
|
|
Facility fees at hospitals were approximately 55 percent higher than those at ASCs in the same county and with the same insurer. Potential limitations involve use of insurers' self-disclosed pricing information, including use of nonstandard codes, reporting of prices for facilities that do not perform colonoscopies, and no utilization information.
|
|
JAMA Health Forum (12/15/23) Yang Wang; Yuchen Wang; Elizabeth Plummer; et al.
|
|
|
|
|
As a result of President Biden’s historic prescription drug law, the Inflation Reduction Act, drug companies will pay rebates to Medicare when prices of certain prescription drugs administered or dispensed to people with Medicare increase faster than the rate of inflation. In addition, people with Medicare may pay a lower coinsurance for some Part B drugs if the drugs’ prices increase faster than the rate of inflation.
|
|
CMS Press Release (12/14/23)
|
|
|
|
|
Three years after more than 3,600 health workers died of covid-19, occupational safety experts warn that those on the front lines may once again be at risk if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention takes its committee’s advice on infection control guidelines in health care settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, and jails. In early November, the committee released a controversial set of recommendations the CDC is considering, which would update those established some 16 years ago.
|
|
KFF Health News (12/14/23) Amy Maxmen
|
|
|
|
|
Family physician Arthur Apolinario, MD, MPH, set up practice in rural Clinton, North Carolina, nearly a quarter of a century ago. He and the eight other physicians who own a primary care practice there take care of the farmers in the surrounding area who tend to the hogs and turkeys and crops that help put food on America’s tables.
|
|
American Medical Association (12/15/23) Tanya Albert Henry
|
|
|
|
|
State Sen. Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View, wants a stronger state focus on a physician shortage issue that she says threatens the health of rural Arkansans. Irvin, who chairs the Senate Public Health Committee, appeared on this week’s Capitol View program and stressed that the medical worker shortage is a major workforce issue.
|
|
Talk Business & Politics (12/17/23) Roby Brock
|
|
|
|
|
Today, FDA is announcing final approval and implementation of required labeling updates to continue efforts to address the evolving opioid crisis, and to urge health care professionals to take a more patient-centered approach when prescribing opioid analgesic products. In April 2023, FDA notified application holders of New Drug Applications and Abbreviated New Drug Applications of required safety labeling updates needed for immediate-release and extended-release/long-acting opioid analgesics.
|
|
FDA Drug Safety and Availability (12/15/2023)
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
|