August poll results: Service line shifts push ASCs to expand capacity, redefine readiness
The migration of surgical cases from inpatient settings to ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) continues to reshape perioperative leadership in 2025. Nationally, the trend is driven by payer incentives, patient preference, and cost pressures, with ASCs now performing more orthopedic, spine, and complex outpatient procedures than ever before. In fact, the…
Hospital-affiliated doctors drive highest costs by avoiding lower-cost sites
Editor's Note Patients treated by hospital-affiliated physicians are far less likely to receive specialty procedures in lower-cost settings, while private-equity–affiliated doctors are the most likely to steer patients toward these options, Ambulatory Surgery Center News August 12 reports. The findings come from a Mount Sinai study that examined physician affiliation,…
For-profit health systems ramp up ASC expansion to offset tax law cuts
Editor's Note Major for-profit health systems are accelerating investments in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) as they brace for long-term revenue reductions under the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill” tax law. Systems including HCA Healthcare, Tenet Healthcare, Community Health Systems (CHS), and Universal Health Services (UHS) outlined aggressive ASC growth strategies…
Providers call for deeper reform despite CMS proposing payment hikes in 2026
Editor's Note CMS is boosting 2026 Medicare outpatient payments by 2.4%, but provider groups warn the increase barely scratches the surface of mounting financial strain. Alongside the payment bump, the agency is proposing a two-track physician reimbursement model that ties rates to value-based care participation. While some see these moves…
CMS 2026 proposed rule: Expanded ASC access, higher payments, tighter quality reporting
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) just proposed sweeping changes to the Medicare Shared Savings Program and Physician Fee Schedule for calendar year 2026, including extensive changes to outpatient Medicare policy such as payment increases, expanded procedural access, and new quality reporting updates, as outlined in…
Study: Hospital same‑day knee replacements match ASC outcomes, even in higher‑risk patients
Editor's Note A recent Duke University analysis challenges the long‑held assumption that ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) inherently deliver superior results for outpatient joint replacement, Orthopedics This Week March 18 reports. In the February 2025 Journal of Arthroplasty, researchers report that same‑day discharge total knee arthroplasty (TKA) performed in a tertiary‑care hospital…
OR Manager Conference session: Converting HOPDs to ASCs—What do hospitals need to know?
Editor's Note This session on converting hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) into ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), presented at the recently concluded OR Manager Conference, saw Joan Dentler, MBA, founder of Avanza Healthcare Strategies, share practical insights for healthcare leaders contemplating this transition. Dentler began by highlighting the history of ASCs, which…
OR “megafloor” combines inpatient, outpatient procedures
Editor's Note A newly constructed surgical “megafloor” that connects inpatient and outpatient ORs promises to aid workflow and add flexibility for perioperative teams at The University of California Irvine (UCI) Health—Irvine campus, Healthcare Design reported October 7. As detailed in the article, the academic center must accommodate a variety of…
Medicare policy on prior authorization falls short on shifting outpatient surgery trends
Editor's Note A Medicare policy introduced in 2020, which requires prior authorization for certain procedures done at hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs), has not significantly reduced the volume of surgical procedures being done at these facilities, reports a study by Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, published on October 9. The policy,…
Study shows safety, effectiveness of cardiac electrophysiology procedures in ASCs
Editor's Note This new multicenter study published by the Heart Rhythm Society on August 5 found that ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) offer a safe and effective setting for performing various cardiac electrophysiology procedures, including catheter ablation (CA). The research, which retrospectively analyzed 4,037 procedures, highlights the viability of ASCs as…
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- npj Digital Surgery opens call for research on AI, robotics in the OR
- AI in the OR can sharpen skills, but humans make the lessons stick
- Endoscopy case highlights risks of complex patients in ASCs
- Robotics and AI are redefining precision in cataract surgery
- CMS plan to phase out inpatient only list sparks debate over safety for vulnerable patients
- ACS issues new best practices for managing genitourinary trauma