In healthcare’s dynamic regulatory and economic environment, leaders of gastroenterology-focused ASCs are keeping close tabs on industry developments.
Here are five notes on ASCs and gastroenterology right now:
1. Gastroenterologists are facing increasing financial strain as reimbursement rates continue to decline. A study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology found that between 2007 and 2022, unadjusted average reimbursement for GI procedures dropped by 7%, while inflation-adjusted rates plummeted 33% over the same period.
The situation may worsen before it improves. A funding bill recently passed in the House of Representatives by a 217-213 vote, according to CNN, paving the way for a 2.8% Medicare physician pay cut to take effect.
2. A case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court may restrict the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s role in expanding preventive care coverage for colorectal cancer screenings under the ACA. The American College of Gastroenterology has warned the court that limiting the authority of the task force could result in millions of Americans losing access to free colorectal cancer screenings.
3. Despite high survival rates among patients who regularly undergo screenings, approximately 38% of Americans older than 45 have not had a colonoscopy, despite 45 being the new recommended screening age. In addition, CRC rates are on the rise among young patients. Early-stage research has found that CRCs have risen between 45% and 500% for people too young for routine screenings. The rise in CRC and other GI diseases promises increased demand for GI-focused ASCs, but many say that there are hurdles preventing centers from properly meeting the need for screenings.
4. A new report, “The Cost of Physician Turnover and the Economic Impact of Physicians,” from healthcare staffing firm AMN Healthcare, found that the total cost of onboarding a new gastroenterologist is $656,000.
5. Artificial intelligence has begun to play a major role in the gastroenterology space, from improving workflow to enhancing the detection of CRC and other gastrointestinal diseases.
Geogy Vennikandam, MD, COO of Chicago-based GI Partners of Illinois, recently told Becker’s that his organization has integrated several AI platforms across multiple touchpoints.
Medtronic’s GI Genius is a key technology contributing to the growth of his practice. GI Genius assists in colonoscopies and can reduce the chances of missed polyps by up to 50%, with a 99.7% to 100% sensitivity rate. He also highlighted AnX Robotica, the first AI-assisted reading tool designed to assist small-bowel capsule endoscopy reviewers with adult patients who have suspected small-bowel bleeding and obtained capsule endoscopy images.
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