Category: ASC Coding, Billing and Collections

The payer trends impeding ASCs today

ASC owners and administrators are finding it more difficult to obtain payment from insurers as companies change coverage policies. But the current strain could push insurers and ASCs to find common ground on caring for the entire episode of care more e…

$15B in cumulative savings for physician practices is on the table, study says

According to a study published in Health Affairs, if all physician practices performed at the level of “robust practices,” they would save an estimated $14.9 billion on fee-for-service beneficiaries annually.

Fee for service becoming a ‘steady march to the bottom’; What’s next for ASCs?

Physicians are clinging to fee-for-service payment to avoid the proverbial “race to the bottom” of bundled payments, which often cut pay rates.

Medicare payments to ASCs drop 6.4%: 12 MedPAC report stats 

Medicare payments to ASCs dropped 6.4 percent between 2019 and 2020, according to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s March report to Congress. 

Physician pay freeze should stay, says MedPAC

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission recommended Medicare continue its physician fee payment freeze despite ongoing financial pressure from the pandemic.

MedPAC recommends CMS slash ASC conversion factor in 2023

In its March report to Congress, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission recommended increasing the 2023 Medicare conversion factor for ASCs and to require ASCs to report cost data. 

ASCs in the South earn the most revenue

Southern ASCs earn the most revenue in the country, according to VMG Health’s “Multi-Specialty ASC Benchmarking Study” for 2022.

‘Rogue surgeon’ seeks lawsuit dismissal; US attorneys say no

The U.S. attorney’s office asked a federal judge not to dismiss a whistleblower lawsuit against the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and one of its top surgeons, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported March 10.

12 physicians sentenced to prison for $250M billing fraud

Twelve Michigan- and Ohio-based physicians were sentenced March 9 to prison for their roles in a scheme to perform and bill for unnecessary procedures in exchange for opioid prescriptions.

Visa, Mastercard to hike merchant fees in April

Two major credit card companies plan to increase merchant fees, according to The Wall Street Journal.