Editor's Note On July 10, CMS proposed Medicare payment rates for hospital outpatient and ambulatory surgery center (ASC) services for 2025.  Published annually, the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and ASC Payment System Proposed Rule will have a 60-day comment period, which this year ends September 9 prior to…

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Editor's Note UnitedHealth Group acquired dozens of outpatient facilities, particularly surgery centers, in 2023, often without public announcements, STAT March 11 reports. This builds on their network of about 90,000 physicians. Many new centers are in areas where UnitedHealth dominates the Medicare Advantage market. A major acquisition was National Cardiovascular…

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Editor's Note Expected to grow at an average annual rate of 5.6%, US healthcare spending will outpace GDP growth—projected at 4.3%--and rise to $7.7 trillion by 2032, according to a June 28 report in ASC focus. The $7.7 trillion figure amounts to 19.7% of GDP. The report is sourced from…

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Rural hospitals in the US have been facing a prolonged, multifaceted crisis. The literature presents several reasons for why healthcare facilities in rural areas struggle, including shrinking budgets, rising chronic illness and public health issues like addiction and obesity, poor telehealth and broadband access, aging populations, deteriorating mental health, and…

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Editor's Note Amid growing concerns over healthcare spending and affordability, there is bipartisan interest in aligning Medicare payments for outpatient services across various care settings through "site-neutral" payments, KFF June 14 reports. As a June 2023 Modern Healthcare article explains, last year Congress reviewed legislation to expand site-neutral payment policies,…

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Editor's Note Growth in healthcare spending is outpacing nominal economic growth, Hospice News reported June 12. Citing a study from the Office of the Actuary (OACT) at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the outlet reports that healthcare spending’s share of GDP is projected to rise from 17.6%…

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Editor's Note A recent analysis by the RAND Corporation, a research and analysis nonprofit, revealed a disparity between hospital and ambulatory surgery center (ASC) prices paid by employers and private payers compared to Medicare prices, Revcycle Intelligence May 15 reports. The study, covering data from 2020 to 2022, showed private…

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Editor's Note Starting in 2025, Medicare-certified ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) will be required to participate in the Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (OAS CAHPS) Survey to comply with the ASC Quality Reporting Program, reports the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) and Outpatient Surgery Magazine…

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Editor's Note New federal guidelines require obtaining written informed consent before conducting pelvic and other sensitive medical examinations, according to an April 2 Associated Press report. The new guidance from the US Department of Health and Human Services focuses specifically on medical students, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants performing breast,…

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Editor's Note Addressing social determinants of health (SDOHs), strengthening emergency preparedness, and improving maternal heath are among the top priorities of the fiscal year (FY) 2025 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System (LTCH PPS) rules released April 10. These and other efforts aim to…

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