Latest News

April

ASC Focus: ASCA 2024 Rocking Orlando

April 19, 2024

After three days of roaring success, the ASCA 2024 Conference & Expo will wrap up tomorrow. The Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center is humming with nearly 2,100 participants, 167 exhibiting companies and 45 unique sponsors.

ASC Focus: Shining a Light on National Minority Health Month

April 12, 2024

April is National Minority Health Month, a dedicated time to raise awareness about the health disparities faced by racial and ethnic minorities, as well as American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities in the US.

New Podcast Episode: AMSURG Vice President Discusses Importance of Colorectal Cancer Screening

April 11, 2024

AMSURG’s Dr. Abbey Vandersall talks about trends in colorectal cancer screening and the role of surgery centers in expanding patient access to care.

ASC Focus: Supporting Vulnerable Patients

April 5, 2024

The federal government’s Healthy People 2030 initiative defines social determinants of health (SDOH) as “the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.”

Benchmarking 2024 Q1 Data Submission Now Open

April 1, 2024

Data submission for Q1 of ASCA’s 2024 Clinical & Operational Benchmarking Survey is now open and will close on April 30.

Important Dates in April

April 1, 2024

Attend ASCA 2024, submit 2024 Q1 benchmarking data, participate in ASCA’s latest 60-Second Survey, watch the April webinar and more.

March

ASC Focus: ASCA Continues to Advocate for Full Coverage of Colonoscopies

March 29, 2024

As Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month comes to an end, colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a serious threat, ranking as the second deadliest cancer in the US after lung cancer. The good news is that many CRC cases are preventable through regular screenings like colonoscopies.

ASC Physician Brief: Spring 2024

March 27, 2024

Read the Spring 2024 edition of ASCA’s quarterly “ASC Physician Brief” to learn the latest about physician payment policy discussions in Congress, ASCA’s recent National Advocacy Day and more.

ASC Focus: Start on OAS CAHPS Survey Implementation Now

March 22, 2024

The Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (OAS CAHPS) Survey will become a mandatory component of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ ASC Quality Reporting Program on January 1, 2025.

Save 40% on ASCA 2024 Registration!

March 15, 2024

We’ve restructured pricing to help you save money and make attending ASCA 2024 more accessible than ever. Register now to take advantage of the lowest rates in years.

Register for ASCA’s New Regulatory Series

March 15, 2024

The Regulatory Series is free for ASCA members and consists of short, live, conversational sessions that provide you with the insights and guidance you need to ensure your facility is compliant with the complex network of regulatory requirements.

ASC Focus: National Advocacy Day Attendee Helps Secure New Congressional Supporter

March 15, 2024

Jennifer Hodge, chief operating officer at Carolina Interventional Pain Institute in Columbia, South Carolina, recently traveled to Washington, DC, to participate in National Advocacy Day and met with Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC).

ASC Focus: ASCA Members Make National Advocacy Day a Success

March 8, 2024

From February 26–28, ASCA members traveled from 28 states to Washington, DC, for this year’s National Advocacy Day to educate members of Congress and their staff on ASCs and urge them to support the Outpatient Surgery Quality and Access Act of 2023.

New Podcast Episode: “Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery in ASCs”

March 4, 2024

Oral surgeon Dayne Jensen, MD, explains why he believes an ASC offers the safest, most convenient setting for his patients and how he turned his vision into reality—even for Medicaid patients in his community.

Tools to Help ASCs Respond to Change Healthcare’s Cybersecurity Issues

March 1, 2024

ASCA pulled together three resources to help ASCs effectively and efficiently respond to disruptions caused by the cybersecurity issues Change Healthcare has been experiencing since last week.

ASC Focus: Welcome to ASCA 2024

March 1, 2024

Discover the magic that comes with being surrounded by hundreds of colleagues and friends at the largest ASC conference of the year and less than a mile from Walt Disney World.

ASC Focus: Prepare for Third-Party Cybersecurity Incidents

March 1, 2024

Last week, a cyberattack on UnitedHealth Group paralyzed subsidiary Change Healthcare, part of Optum, causing billing disruptions at different healthcare entities including ASCs.

Important Dates in March

March 1, 2024

Register for ASCA 2024 for a chance to win FREE LIFETIME REGISTRATION, sign up for the new Regulatory Series, stay on the lookout for the ASCA Audio Update and more.

February

Win Free Conference Registration for Life!

February 26, 2024

Register for the ASCA 2024 Conference & Expo by March 8 and you’ll be entered to win free registration to ASCA’s annual conferences FOR LIFE.

Change Healthcare Experiencing Cybersecurity Issues

February 23, 2024

Change Healthcare is experiencing cybersecurity issues. Updates are available online.

ASC Focus: Choose to Get Your ASC Accredited

February 23, 2024

Accreditation plays a vital role in validating the ASC community’s solid reputation of performing high-quality, safe care for the communities served. ASCA’s virtual course “Getting to Know the ASC Accrediting Organizations” can help you select the best accrediting organization for your surgery center.

FREE Member Webinar: Introduction to ANSI/AAMI ST108

February 21, 2024

Listen to this discussion about water quality and its application to medical device processing through the standard ANSI/AAMI ST108. This webinar is free for ASCA members; nonmembers can purchase access to the program.

ASC Focus: Maine Legislature Balks at Site-of-Service Facility Fee Restrictions

February 16, 2024

On February 6, Maine’s Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services voted to report out legislation related to transparency recommendations and restrictions on facility fees associated with telehealth services.

Benchmarking 2023 Q4 Reports Now Available

February 15, 2024

Subscribers to ASCA’s 2023 Clinical & Operational Benchmarking Survey can now access their Q4 reports.

ASC Focus: HIPAA Biannual Update

February 8, 2024

During the last half of 2023, healthcare organizations across the country posted 336 breaches of protected health information affecting 500 or more individuals.

ASC Focus: ASCA Advocacy Results in TSA Coverage in ASCs

February 2, 2024

Now that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has added total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) to the ASC Covered Procedures List (ASC-CPL), the healthcare system will save a considerable amount.

Submit a Presentation Proposal for ASCA 2025

February 1, 2024

ASCA is now accepting presentation proposals for the ASCA 2025 Conference & Expo. The submission deadline is March 31.

Important Dates in February

February 1, 2024

Get a SUITE deal for ASCA 2024, submit your ASC-20 data, attend National Advocacy Day, renew your ASCA membership and more.

January

ASC-20: 2023 Q3 Data Due February 15

January 31, 2024

The deadline to submit data for the third quarter of 2023 for ASC-20: COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage Among Health Care Personnel is February 15.

OAS CAHPS Survey Becomes Mandatory in 2025: Use ASCA’s New Resources to Get Started NOW

January 26, 2024

Visit ASCA’s new OAS CAHPS resources page to learn more about the approved survey vendors and find out what you need to do to get started.

ASC Focus: State Legislatures Kick Off 2024 with Continued Focus on Healthcare

January 26, 2024

This year’s state legislative sessions are well underway, with 39 state legislatures actively meeting as of January 17, and the most unfortunate trend in healthcare policy in 2023, facility fee restrictions, already rearing its ugly head.

ASC Focus: Medicare Introduces New ASC Procedure Request Process

January 19, 2024

CMS recently rolled out the ASC Covered Procedures List Pre-Proposed Rule Recommendation Request, a new way to submit codes for consideration.

What Should Medicare Add to the ASC Covered Procedures List?

January 18, 2024

Help ASCA advocate for the expansion of CMS’ ASC Covered Procedures List by completing a brief survey.

Administrator Development Program Applications Due January 31

January 16, 2024

Applications are now being accepted for the spring virtual class of the ASC Administrator Development Program, which will run from March 2024–February 2025.

ASC Focus: Headwinds and Tailwinds Shaping ASC Performance

January 11, 2024

Learn more about the challenges and opportunities ASCs will face in the new year.

ASC Focus: Trends to Watch in 2024

January 5, 2024

Industry experts weigh in on what to expect this year and how to make the best of the circumstances.

ASCA’s 2024 Q1 Medicare Rate Calculator Now Available

January 4, 2024

ASCA has posted the 2024 Q1 Medicare Rate Calculator, which shows correct local and national rates based on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services January addenda.

Important Dates in January

January 3, 2024

Attend the virtual coding course, submit your Q4 benchmarking data, prepare for the OAS CAHPS Survey and more.

Benchmarking 2023 Q4 Data Submission Now Open

January 2, 2024

Data submission for Q4 of ASCA’s 2023 Clinical & Operational Benchmarking Survey is now open and will close on January 31.