Editor's Note As surgical procedures are shifting to the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) setting, smart planning and preparation can help ASCs approach smart growth in the next several years, according to a November 21 news story in Becker’s ASC Review. The article highlighted several business-savvy strategies for smart service line…

Read More

Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has delayed the start date for the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) prior authorization demonstration that affects ten states. This delay shifts the date previously set for December 15, 2025, and sets two different phases across affected states into 2026, according…

Read More

Editor's Note Ambulatory surgery center (ASC) leaders processing the November 21 decision from CMS to finalize its proposal to phase out Medicare’s inpatient-only list are looking at the change with optimism, as well as caution, according to a November 26 news story in Ambulatory Surgery Center News. The article featured…

Read More

Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a letter on Medicaid funding November 17 with preliminary guidance for states regarding the implementation of new federal requirements on health care-related (provider) taxes in Medicaid. Per the letter, which was described in a news release at CMS.org, the…

Read More

Editor's Note Mayo Clinic has released a free, digital tool requiring no account or subscription that allows anyone to investigate healthcare quality by city, care specialty, or hospital, an October 30 press release from the health system reports. The tool includes search capability for a range of specific surgical specialties,…

Read More

Editor's Note Hospitals that succeed in surveys are those that “hardwire safety so you’re not ramping up and down,” said John R. Rosing, MHA, FACHE, executive vice president and principal of Patton Healthcare Consulting. Speaking at the OR Manager Conference, Rosing reminded perioperative leaders, “If we’re really about providing quality…

Read More

Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the launch of a new model using artificial intelligence (AI) to target unnecessary Medicare spending, the agency reported in an October 17 update. The voluntary model will run from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2031, and aims to…

Read More

Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has activated shutdown rules that confine Medicare survey and certification work to health and safety essentials, according to an October 21 memo from the agency. Per the revised memorandum, excepted work during the federal shutdown includes investigations of complaints and…

Read More

Editor's Note Private equity firms are accelerating their push into outpatient cardiology, lured by reimbursement trends and a fragmented market but shadowed by concerns about patient outcomes and financial motives, Modern Healthcare October 16 reports. Investor activity in cardiology has surged alongside the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)…

Read More

Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is enlisting artificial intelligence (AI) to combat wasteful spending, but ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) warn the plan could slow care and increase administrative strain, Ambulatory Surgery Center News October 20 reports. The agency’s new Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR)…

Read More