Category: ASC Coding, Billing and Collections

Hospital interests pushing CMS away from ASCs, administrator says

CMS has passed several measures in the last year affecting ASC reimbursements, including removing 255 procedures from the ASC-payable list. For Cathy McCue, MSN, RN, administrator of Uropartners Surgery Center in Des Plaines, Ill., CMS’ actions point t…

Insurers want more surgeries in ASCs

Snagging profitable payer contracts and high reimbursements has historically been an obstacle for ASCs, particularly when competing with hospitals’ big pockets. 

Hospitals seek 15% pay bump from insurers — what should ASCs ask for?

Hospitals across the U.S. are seeing labor and supply costs rise with inflation and are clashing with insurers about raising contracted rates, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Financial opportunities in ASCs and how to capitalize on them — 3 takeaways

Growth opportunities across the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) space continue.

Maine physician group to cut ties with Anthem over 5 years of flat rates

Portland, Maine.-based independent practice Fore River Urology is cutting its contract with Anthem, Bangor Daily News reported May 3.

ASC sues UnitedHealthcare for failure to cover surgery

Advanced Surgery Center in Fort Lee, N.J., has filed a lawsuit against UnitedHealthcare for allegedly failing to pay for hernia-related procedures.

13% of denied prior authorizations met Medicare requirements, HHS says 

Thirteen percent of denied prior authorization requests made by Medicare Advantage organizations met Medicare coverage rules, according to a review conducted by the HHS Office of Inspector General released in April. 

Insurers send mixed signals to ASCs, physicians

Insurers are sending mixed messages to ASCs and independent physicians. On one hand, they want surgery centers and physicians to stay independent to keep costs low; on the other, they are increasing prior authorizations and denial policies that make it…

Physician to pay $4.5M for Medicare fraud at California clinics: 5 details

Donald Woo Lee, MD, was sentenced to 93 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $4.5 million for his role in a Medicare fraud scheme, the U.S. Justice Department said April 28.

4 ASC leaders’ thoughts on value-based care

Value-based care is gaining traction in the ASC industry as CMS and payers see opportunities in bundled payments over traditional fee-for-service models.