The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) final rule, which, as always, has a few key takeaways for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). The agency says the rule is focused on modernizing payment accuracy by finalizing an “efficiency adjustment” for select services and a one-time 2.5% increase in physician payments. “CMS is working to strengthen and transform Medicare for current and future generations while cracking … [Read more...]
Ambulatory Surgery Centers Turn to International Talent Amid Staffing Shortages Despite Increasing Visa Costs, Complex Regulations
As nursing and physician shortages continue, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are seeking to recruit talent from other countries to fill the gaps. However, new regulations and government red tape are making it harder to hire that talent. “If any employer thinks they could succeed or keep any system with 100% domestic workers, they are not in touch with reality,” Ann-Rose Johnson-Lewis, director of legal services at WorldWide HealthStaff Solutions, told ASC News. ASCs frequently use … [Read more...]
CMS Clarifies Survey, Certification Procedures During Government Shutdown
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has clarified its position on survey and credentialing activities during the government shutdown. In a Tuesday memo, the agency effectively limited survey work during the federal shutdown to essential health and safety functions. For ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), only complaint investigations classified as immediate jeopardy (IJ)and those involving actual harm may proceed, along with revisits approved by exception and … [Read more...]
CMS WISeR Model Brings New Oversight, Raises Questions for ASCs
When the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced its new Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model this summer, the agency framed the program as an effort to cut down on unnecessary spending, fraud and abuse in Medicare. But for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), the six-year test could mean new layers of prior authorization, administrative work and uncertainty around how advanced technologies will be applied in clinical decisions. The voluntary … [Read more...]
Inpatient-Only List Overhaul Could Put Pressure on ASC, Post-Acute Care Coordination
A proposal from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to phase out Medicare’s Inpatient-Only List (IPO) while adding more procedures for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) is stirring debate over how patients move through the continuum of care. As surgical capabilities advance, more complex procedures can safely take place outside of hospitals, including in ASCs. In turn, CMS in its 2026 proposed payment rule for ASCs has suggested phasing out the IPO list over three years, … [Read more...]
Government Shutdown Brings New Uncertainty for Surgery Centers
The federal government officially shut down on Oct. 1 after Congress failed to reach agreement on a short-term spending bill. The immediate fallout will mean furloughs for hundreds of thousands of federal workers and stalled services across multiple agencies. For ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), the impact may not be as direct as it is for hospitals or other federally funded programs, but industry leaders say ripple effects could be on the horizon if Congress does not act soon. “If … [Read more...]
‘Patients Over Profits Act’ Would Shake Up ASC Industry by Targeting Payer-Povider Ownership Structures
Lawmakers in Washington are taking aim at the growing clout of large insurers that also own health care providers – a dynamic that could reverberate across the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) industry. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) – joined by a slate of Democratic lawmakers including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), and Reps. Pat Ryan (N.Y.), Pramila Jayapal (Wash.) and Val Hoyle (D-Ore.) – revealed the Patients Over Profits Act earlier this month. The legislation would make it “unlawful for … [Read more...]
CMS Proposal to Drop Inpatient-Only List, Grow ASC List Sparks 3,900 Comments
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) floated big changes to the outpatient surgery landscape when the agency shared its 2026 proposed payment rule for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) on July 15. To recap, CMS’ proposal included doing away with the Medicare Inpatient Only List (IPO), adding to the ASC Covered Procedures List (ASC-CPL) and giving ASCs a relatively modest payment adjustment. CMS likewise proposed changes to the Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality … [Read more...]
FTC’s New Noncompete Inquiry Raises Questions for ASC Staffing
The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) latest move on employee noncompete agreements is keeping the issue squarely in the spotlight. Ambulatory surgery center (ASC) leaders are paying close attention. “The ability of ASCs to recruit and retain staff has always been tied to how noncompetes are written and enforced,” Michael McClain of Leftcoast Health told ASC News. “My fear would be that if businesses continue to expand noncompetes in a tight labor market, it’s only going to increase the … [Read more...]
Researchers Warn of Equity Concerns as Shoulder Surgeries Move to ASCs
A new national study found racial, ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in shoulder arthroscopy, a procedure that is increasingly performed in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Researchers analyzed the 2019 Nationwide Ambulatory Surgery Sample and estimated that 340,892 shoulder arthroscopies were performed across the country that year, with an average charge of $32,910. “There are well-defined disparities in the use of orthopaedic surgery among different patient populations in the … [Read more...]