Financial sustainability will be a major 2026 challenge

Editor's Note

Outpatient surgery leaders looking to the year ahead are planning for challenges on the horizon, as well as those challenges carrying forward. A significant hurdle is to maintain financial stability, according to a November 14 news story in Becker’s ASC Review.

One ASC revenue cycle supervisor noted in the story that even though payers continue to push procedures into ASCs to reduce overall healthcare costs, and hospitals shift cases to free up operating rooms for higher-acuity patients, ASCs must investigate if these moves make smart economic sense for them. She cautioned that ASCs must take a close look to compare how the revenue generated from a growing volume of procedures could be offset by rising supply costs, persistent staffing shortages, and reimbursement rates that remain lower than those of hospitals. She said success will depend on striking the right balance by capturing new case volume without compromising margins or overextending resources, per the news story.

A maturing ASC market is another financial factor to consider, according to an orthopedic ASC system CEO interviewed. He said that while the narrative for ASCs has been focused on growth, explosive expansion is leveling off at a time when higher insurance premiums, deductible resets, and inflationary drag on household spending to cool patient demand, per the story. He suggested these factors should encourage ASCs to take a closer look at smart financial practices around product utilization, workflow efficiency and staffing.