Vermont's health care system is in crisis. The state’s largest insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont, is facing insolvency after four consecutive years of losses, and rural hospitals are posting negative margins and hemorrhaging cash. The ripple effect could upend care delivery across the state, with deep implications for outpatient surgical centers, particularly the state’s sole remaining multi-specialty ambulatory surgery center, Green Mountain Surgery Center. “That's a majority … [Read more...]
Debate Grows Over Impact of Site Neutrality on Outpatient Care
The site-neutrality movement, aimed at standardizing payments across outpatient health care settings, has rapidly emerged as an important discussion among ambulatory surgery center (ASC) operators. While potentially beneficial in driving procedures into lower-cost environments by eliminating hospital facility fees, industry leaders have mixed perspectives on its implementation. Michael McClain, managing partner at Left Coast Healthcare Advisors, told Ambulatory Surgery Center News his … [Read more...]
CON Laws Under Fire: Ambulatory Surgery Centers Demand Free-Market Growth
Certificate of need (CON) laws have long shaped the development of health care facilities across the United States, originally enacted to control costs, reduce duplication of services and make sure resources were distributed in line with community needs. However, these regulations have increasingly come under scrutiny by ambulatory surgery center (ASC) operators who argue the laws restrict growth, limit physician autonomy and stifle free-market competition. Several states, most recently … [Read more...]