Ambulatory Surgery Center Association

Advancing Ambulatory Surgery

The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) assists ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) in delivering safe, high-quality, cost-effective patient care.

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Latest News

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New ASC Administrator Program Graduates

March 2, 2026

Analysis of CMS’ 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule

November 6, 2025

Education, Programs & Services

Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center

May 13–16, 2026

ASCA 2026 Conference & Expo

Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Washington, DC

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Webinar Series

Virtual Courses

Online Training Series

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ASC Administrator Development Program

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Clinical & Operational Benchmarking

Q2 Reports Available August 15

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Salary & Benefits

2025 Reports Now Available

Purchase Reports

ASC Focus Magazine

A members-only print and digital magazine for the ASC community

Digital edition sponsored by

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Finance & Accounting

HIPAA Workbook

Physician Brief

Benchmarking Basics

One World Surgery Partnership

ASCA members interested in medical mission opportunities are invited to apply for the ASCA Foundation’s scholarship program.

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Enhancing the Patient Experience

ASCA members work at the forefront of the healthcare community to advance the safety, quality and cost-effectiveness of outpatient surgery.

We know our community is making a difference and that's why we provide the resources, education and advocacy to support this mission.

No need to visit a hospital
Medicare-certified quality
Efficient procedure scheduling and performance
Drastically reduced patient copays

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Patients Pay Less in
Surgery Centers

ASCs see reimbursement rates per procedure that are roughly half that of hospital outpatient departments (HOPD). This lower cost is passed on to the patient in the form of lower coinsurance.

Carpal Tunnel Surgery

HOPD

$

ASC

$

Cataract Removal

HOPD

$

ASC

$

Rotator Cuff Repair

HOPD

$

ASC

$

Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 2024 Procedure Price Lookup Comparison File, Carpal Tunnel Surgery (CPT® 64721), Cataract Removal (CPT® 66984), Rotator Cuff Repair (CPT® 29827)

Surgery Centers
by the Numbers

Medicare Certified ASCs¹

Single-specialty¹

Multispecialty¹

+

Operating Rooms¹

$ billion/year

Medicare program and beneficiary savings²

million/year

Total procedures performed²

million/year

Medicare procedures performed²

%

Medicare cataract surgeries performed in ASCs²

%

Medicare colonoscopies performed in ASCs²

¹Source: | Data Analysis, 2/12/2026 Ambulatory Surgery Center Industry Q4 2025 Insights Report

²Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary (PSPS) data, 2019 to 2021

Anne Haddix

Administrator

Southwest Surgical Suites

“When I first entered the ASC community, I wanted to align with an organization that advocates for our field and provides the resources and education needed to help me grow and better support my team. ASCA has been that organization.”

ASCA Connect, a Community for Surgery Center Professionals

ASCA member conversations happening now

Seeking Short-Term Telephone Dictation / Transcription Service Recommendations

Hello, This may feel a bit like stepping back in time, but we are currently in the middle of transitioning to a new EMR system. As part of that change, our existing transcription service is ending before the new system, which will include AI-enabled ... Read more
Merchant Fees

We are a multi-specialty center in PA that is always looking to find ways to cut costs. Has anyone ever approached the subject of merchant fees when processing payments. In other words, passing the merchant fee onto the patient for credit card use. ... Read more
Pre Admission Registration

Hi, We use HST and offer a pre admission survey to be completed and reviewed by our PAT nurse. We use text, email and phone reminders. I was wondering if anyone had some feedback on how to handle cancellations due to patients not registering ... Read more
Incident Reporting

Hello, I am in the process of looking at revamping our incident reporting/tracking system. We are all paper charting and I rely heavily on my staff for reporting issues to investigate. I then compile all reports into an excel spread sheet for tracking ... Read more