2026 ASC business outlook

Editor's Note

Although financial challenges such as lower reimbursement and higher operational costs continue into 2026, opportunities on the horizon present new ways ASC business can evolve, according to a December 15 news story in Ambulatory Surgery Center News. One major opportunity highlighted is the shift of complex care moving into outpatient settings.

As spine, cardiovascular and orthopedic cases are more frequently being rerouted to outpatient care, health care dynamics across the US will shift accordingly. Yet, the realities of growth versus reimbursement do pose financial threats, per the article.

Industry leaders who shared insights in the story said new collaborations and consolidations will also shape the ASC market in 2026. For example, one ASC thought leader shared that there is a growing demand a partnership-driven ASC model in which clinicians and systems collaborate in new ways to extend their reach.

Another expert quoted in the story noted that, while the traditional ASC growth playbook has become obsolete, it’s rapidly evolving into non-traditional spaces, such as pediatric care and academic medicine.

One call to action from another leader quotes in the article: strive for operational elasticity. This can enable staffing capacity to be flexed up and down in response to demand. One way to do this is to create a flexible workforce architecture that combines cross-trained internal teams, per diem pools and technology-enabled deployment.