Tag: outpatient visits

CMS proposal to end inpatient only list draws strong industry response

Editor's Note The plan to eliminate the Medicare Inpatient-Only (IPO) List and expand the Ambulatory Surgery Center Covered Procedures List (ASC-CPL) from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has generated widespread reaction, with more than 3,900 comments submitted during the official feedback period, Ambulatory Surgery Center News September…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
September 22, 2025
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Surgical patients see better outcomes but face longer hospital stays, AHA and Vizient report finds

Editor's Note Hospitalized surgical patients in 2024 were nearly 20% more likely to survive than expected compared to 2019, according to an August 5 analysis from the American Hospital Association (AHA) and Vizient. The report credits safety improvements such as reductions in infections, falls, and major complications, even as surgical…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
September 16, 2025
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AHA study: HOPD Medicare patients are poorer, sicker, more rural than those seen in physician offices

Editor's Note Medicare patients treated in hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) present with greater socioeconomic and clinical complexity than peers seen in independent physician offices, including higher prior emergency department (ED) visits and inpatient use. According to an American Hospital Association (AHA) study conducted by KNG Health Consulting and published on…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
September 4, 2025
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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…

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By: Matt Danford
July 24, 2025
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Oregon tightens control on physician practice ownership, indirectly impacting office-based surgery

Editor's Note Oregon has enacted the nation’s strictest law yet to curb corporate control of physician practices, a move that could indirectly affect office-based surgery (OBS) centers structured as medical clinics. As reported by Modern Healthcare on June 13, the new law reinforces the state’s corporate practice of medicine doctrine…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
July 1, 2025
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UnitedHealth’s dominant growth forges ahead amid intensifying antitrust scrutiny

Editor's Note In addition to the uptick in acquiring outpatient facilities since 2023, UnitedHealth Group quietly acquired or created more than 250 subsidiaries last year, expanding its already vast network of services comprising a major health insurer, physician practices, a pharmacy benefit manager, and various other healthcare ventures, STAT March…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
March 12, 2025
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Study: Shifting imaging to outpatient centers could save billions

Editor's Note Moving radiology services from hospitals to outpatient centers could slash healthcare costs by billions annually while improving patient care, according to a March 3 Radiology Business News report on a study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR). The study found that shifting just 10% of hospital-based…

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By: Matt Danford
March 4, 2025
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Three strategies for demystifying the ASC supply chain puzzle

Ensuring safe, quality care requires precise alignment among inventory levels, delivery schedules, storage solutions, and every other element of the supply chain. A single missing piece of this puzzle—say, a delayed shipment or a storage issue—can disrupt the entire picture. Making the pieces fit can be difficult for any healthcare…

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By: Brad Clark and Jeff Kremer
January 31, 2025
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Call for improved suicide risk screening in ASCs aims to strengthen safety protocols

Editor's Note According to medical experts, healthcare professionals in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) must be more vigilant in recognizing and managing suicidal ideation among patients, Pain Medicine News January 27 reports. With the increasing shift of surgical procedures from hospitals to ASCs, clinicians are more likely to encounter patients struggling…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
January 29, 2025
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Outpatient facilities dominate healthcare construction as demand for community-based care grows

Editor's Note Healthcare construction has been seeing a shift toward outpatient facilities, with medical office buildings (MOBs) and similar structures taking center stage, Building Design + Construction November 1 reports. Citing data from different sources, including the MOB/outpatient facilities 2024 survey, American Society for Health Care Engineering, JLL’s Medical Outpatient…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
November 6, 2024
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