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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ASCA Survey Shows Continued Improvement in Access to Anesthesia Services

October 16, 2026

Register Now to Save on ASCA 2027!

October 15, 2026

Benchmarking Q3 Data Submission Closes October 31

October 13, 2026

ASCA Posts Q4 Medicare Payment Resources

October 8, 2026

Adding Cardiovascular and Vascular Procedures in ASCs

October 7, 2026

Registration Now Open for ASC Management Virtual Course

October 1, 2026

Education, Programs & Services

March 31–April 3, 2027

ASCA 2027 Conference & Expo

Marriott World Center, Orlando, FL

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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

Q1 Reports Now Available

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Salary & Benefits

2025 Reports Coming Soon

ASC Focus Magazine

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

Digital edition sponsored by

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Physician Brief

A quarterly one-pager that highlights issues relevant to physicians who own and/or work in ASCs

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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

Melissa Rice

Administrator

Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center - Member of Trinity Health

“ASCA membership feels especially valuable for a seasoned administrator because it keeps you connected to what is really happening across the ASC world in a practical, boots on the ground way. It is less about learning the basics and more about staying sharp — getting timely regulatory updates, comparing your center’s performance through benchmarking, and having a network of peers who have already tackled the same challenges you are facing. It helps you avoid operating in a bubble and gives you a steady stream of insight that supports good decision making and reinforces the work you are already doing at a high level.”

ASCA Connect, a Community for Surgery Center Professionals

ASCA member conversations happening now

Robots in the ASC

I was wondering if there are any surgery centers currently utilizing a robotic surgical system in their facilities. If so, I would really appreciate hearing about your experience with it. In particular, I would be interested in learning about your ... Read more
Multimodal for Total Joints

Are there any facilities doing Total Joints that mix more than 3 medications together for their multimodal? USP 797 says you cannot mix more than 3 medications together, as that is compounding, and cannot be done for immediate use, it must be done under ... Read more
ASCs using Electronic Surgical Consent Forms

Hi Everyone! I wanted to get some feedback from other ASC's regarding surgical consent forms and how you're handling them electronically. We are a Vascular Surgery Center in California. We recently transitioned to AthenaOne, and for now, we are still ... Read more
Environmental Services

Has anyone moved away from a contracted environmental cleaning company and built an in-house environmental services team? We're evaluating this option due to ongoing concerns with cleaning quality and would be interested in hearing about the costs, staffing ... Read more