CMS payment overhaul could cut specialist pay
Editor's Note A “quiet transformation” in how Medicare pays doctors could reduce payments for specialty care, including rates for billing codes associated with surgery, diagnostic imaging, outpatient care, pain management, and orthopedics, Modern Healthcare July 22 reports. According to the article, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 2026…
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…
ASC adaptability depends on properly structured leadership
Takeaways • Different types of ASC leadership structures can be adapted to meet organizational needs. • Regulations, accreditation standards, size, and ownership types are examples of factors influencing the leadership structure. • Ongoing success of the ASC leadership team depends on factors such as governing body diversity and strategic planning.…
Health systems retreat from partnerships to control costs, refocus on core care
Editor's Note Some health systems are cutting ties with long-standing partners to conserve resources, brace for financial uncertainty, and prioritize core clinical services, Modern Healthcare June 26 reports. With looming federal reimbursement cuts and increasing economic pressures, providers are reassessing the value and sustainability of affiliations formed during more stable…
ASCs deliver lower costs but face uphill payment, regulatory challenges
Editor's Note Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) continue to offer significant cost savings over hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs), but payment inequities, regulatory constraints, and growing competitive pressures are straining operations and growth prospects. Recent data show wide cost differentials between settings, Becker’s ASC Review June 20 reports. A Blue Health Intelligence…
Robotic shoulder surgery enters ASCs, paving way for broader adoption
Editor's Note Surgeons are performing robotic shoulder replacements in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) for the first time, signaling a significant shift in the trajectory of outpatient total joint arthroplasty. According to Outpatient Surgery Magazine May 7, the world’s first robotic total shoulder replacement outside of a hospital took place on…
Colonoscopy follow-up safe after 75: Study finds age alone shouldn’t guide decisions
Editor's Note Routine colonoscopy surveillance after polyp removal is safe for adults over 75 and should not be ruled out based on age alone, according to a new study from Kaiser Permanente published on May 27 in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The research, conducted as part of the National Cancer…
Study: Burn severity drives surgery timing
Editor's Note Patients with more severe burns are more likely to undergo early surgical intervention, according to a May 27 report in Physician’s Weekly summarizing a multicenter cohort study published in Burns Open. The study was based on 3,291 adult cases from three burn centers between 2009 and 2021 According…
Q1 reports show climb in outpatient surgical volume, diverging trends at Surgery Partners, Ardent Health
Editor's Note In 2025 earnings reports for the first quarter (Q1), both Surgery Partners Inc and Ardent Health Partners Inc posted solid top-line growth and reaffirmed full-year guidance, but they diverged in outpatient performance, TipRanks May 12 reports. Surgery Partners, a major operator of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), reported Q1…
Study: Outpatient PCI safety comparable for ASCs, HOPDs
Editor's Note The first study to evaluate percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in Medicare beneficiaries treated at ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) found similar short-term safety outcomes as hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs). As detailed in an announcement from The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI), the research was presented on May…
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- Remote monitoring speeds recovery, lowers complications after cancer surgery
- Common supplements may heighten bleeding risk during surgery, Polish study finds
- Keeping sensory aids in place during surgery reduces delirium risk in older hip fracture patients
- HFMA warns affordability crisis is driving up provider bad debt
- Report warns sterile processing staffing crisis threatens surgical safety
- Ascension swings to profit as outpatient push, cost cuts take hold
- High BMI alone did not raise early complication risk after outpatient TJA
- AAAHC report spotlights top accreditation deficiencies, strategies for safer ambulatory care
- ACS conference charts bold future for surgical quality with data, teamwork, frontline innovation
- Surgical leaders urged to weigh risks, rewards of innovation with a critical eye