Same-day surgery centers across the country will soon be required to administer the OAS CAHPS survey, a comprehensive tool developed by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to assess patient satisfaction following outpatient surgeries. The survey asks 34 questions covering various aspects of patient experience, including communication with medical staff, facility cleanliness, preparation for discharge and recovery, and overall satisfaction with the care received. It … [Read more...]

In its 2025 proposed payment rule for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) floated a 2.6% increase to surgery center payments and adjustments to select quality-reporting measures. One thing CMS didn’t call for: key additions to the ASC Covered Procedures list for 2025. “It is disheartening that CMS established a new, supposedly more transparent process for submitting procedure codes that could be added to the ASC Covered Procedures … [Read more...]

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its 2025 proposed payment rule for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and hospital outpatient departments last week. The headliner from CMS was its proposed 2.6% effective payment update for next year, a figure based on a 3% inflation update plus a 0.4% productivity reduction. As it pertains to that update, CMS listened to industry feedback and mirrored proposed payment changes for ASCs and hospital outpatient departments … [Read more...]

For ambulatory surgery center (ASC) operators, staying abreast of the regulatory and legislative changes that impact daily business and patient care is crucial. And from workforce-related final rules, certificate of need (CON) developments, U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) changes and beyond, there has been no shortage of policy developments over the past several months. The second half of 2024 is likely to present further shifts as well, ASC industry insiders … [Read more...]

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released the most frequently cited areas for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) in 2023. The most cited issue was "Sanitary Environment," cited 507 times. Following closely was "Infection Control Program," cited 372 times. The data, obtained by the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA), was based on 3,023 ASC surveys from last year. The numbers show that infection control remains a predominant concern for operators, with … [Read more...]

W. Mark Wainner has been elected president of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA), the industry group recently announced. Alexandria, Virginia-based ASCA is a national trade association that represents more than 6,200 Medicare-certified ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) across the United States. The group plays an important role in working with the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and lawmakers to shape ASC policy – a mission that has grown in importance as … [Read more...]