As ASCs grapple with fluctuating anesthesia coverage and rising costs, many administrators are finding themselves in a constant balancing act.
Andrew Weiss, administrator of Vorhees, N.J.-based Summit Surgical Center, joined Becker’s to discuss how anesthesia subsidies are influencing ASC financial planning and shared practical advice for navigating these ongoing challenges.
Question: Can you kind of talk about the ways anesthesia subsidies affected your financial planning? What advice would you give another ASC going through this issue?
Andrew Weiss: It’s like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall right now — figuring it out is tough. The situation is very market dependent and keeps shifting. One day anesthesia companies say they need subsidies, and the next it’s, “Oh, never mind. We’re good now.” Everything could change at any moment, so there’s no guarantee.
From a budgeting perspective, planning for the subsidy is a very prudent move. That money has to come from somewhere, and naturally, it’s going to impact your bottom line.
The best thing you can do is work closely with your anesthesia providers to see if they can forecast what their needs might be. Also, shop around. I’ve heard from other administrators that the situation is easing in some areas. During the worst of the labor shortages, anesthesia groups were heavily relying on locums and per diems. That’s settled down somewhat. Staffing is more stable now, with less turnover, and that’s helping create more consistency.
But I don’t think this problem is going away overnight. The shortage itself is fairly predictable — there are only so many anesthesia residency slots available. Some states allow CRNAs to practice without direct supervision by an anesthesiologist, which could offer some relief. If that’s something that might help your center, work with your medical director and board to see if your state allows it. Here in New Jersey, that’s not currently an option — we only had that flexibility under a COVID-19 waiver, and it’s ending. That could be something to bring up with your state association and advocate for if it makes sense.
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