|
|
The last day to receive the early bird discount for the ASCA 2025 Conference & Expo is Tuesday, December 31.Taking place April 30–May 3 in Denver, Colorado, ASCA 2025 is the premier ASC event of the year, offering the most impactful, high-quality and cost-effective education as well as ample networking opportunities for attendees, speakers and exhibitors. Don’t miss out—register now and save!
|
|
ASCA Content (12/17/24)
|
|
|
|
|
Following a public outcry, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield announced December 5 it had walked back plans that would have put time limits on health insurance payments for anesthesia care in certain states. But the brief brouhaha shined a light on an often neglected, yet central, component of surgical care.
|
|
Science News (12/06/24) Sujata Gupta
|
|
|
Versatility in every drop: With its low-foam, pH-neutral, ultra-concentrated formulation, XEN Enzymatic+ delivers superb control for cleaning a wide range of medical instruments, including your most intricate devices.
|
|
|
|
Sign up now for ASCA’s Coding & Reimbursement for ASCs virtual course, streaming live January 13 and 14 and available on demand afterward. During this course, which provides essential training for ASC billers and coders, participants will hear from industry experts as they discuss the coding and billing updates for 2025 and share strategies to maximize ASC reimbursements. The coding course—along with ASCA’s entire suite of virtual education— is included in 2025 ASCA membership. Join ASCA or renew your membership for 2025 to access this course as part of your membership! The course is also available for purchase by nonmembers. |
|
ASCA Content (12/17/24)
|
|
Hit Your RCM Goals Faster: The All-Payer Insurance Eligibility Tool ACSs Can’t Afford to MissView Webinar
|
|
|
|
|
A now-reversed Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield policy that would have created a time limit for coverage of anesthesia has led to a Democratic bill that would prevent such a cap in the future. The bill, introduced by Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), draws on a renewed focus on and energy around health policy spurred by the killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
|
|
Axios (12/09/24) Andrew Solender
|
|
How To Complete Privileging FasterBetween peer references and board approval, there’s a lot that is out of your ASC staff’s control. Download this checklist to better control what you can so surgeries can happen as planned.
|
|
|
|
ASCA memberships expire on Tuesday, December 31. Renew today to keep enjoying the valuable benefits ASCA offers and ensure your 2025 membership certificate arrives in January. There are three easy ways to renew:1. Online: Visit ASCA’s Membership Portal to renew instantly. 2. Renewal Form: Need a renewal form? Email us at membership@ascassociation.org. 3. By Phone: If an ASCA Renewal Support Team representative reaches out, you can renew directly with them. Don’t wait—renew your membership today to retain all the benefits ASCA has to offer! |
|
ASCA Content (12/17/24)
|
|
How Are Payments Shifting in 2024? Read the Report to See What’s Ahead for Your ASC: Partial payments are rising while total payments are dropping. What’s causing this? Find out the details in the 2024 State of the Industry Report. Read the full report and discover how your ASC can navigate these changes.
|
|
|
|
|
Health care companies are taking a step back to better understand patients' experiences after a powerful U.S. health insurance executive was murdered last week, executives from drugmaker Pfizer and Amazon.com said at a panel at the Reuters NEXT conference in New York on Wednesday. The murder ignited an outpouring of anger from Americans struggling to receive and pay for medical care.
|
|
Reuters (12/11/24) Michele Gershberg; Michael Erman
|
|
Deterra is the Solution for Safe Medication DisposalProviders and patients can destroy unused medications quickly and easily with Deterra® Drug Deactivation and Disposal Pouches. Read testimonials and learn how you can order case quantities of pouches for healthcare use.
|
|
|
|
On this very special audio update, ASCA CEO Bill Prentice talks with ASCA Director of Communications Kay Tucker about her retirement at the end of December. Kay has had an almost 30-year affiliation with ASCA, beginning as a consultant, followed by 18 years as its director of communications. Bill and Kay revisit several of her most impactful accomplishments and milestones during her time at ASCA, which was characterized by her professionalism, her “can do” spirit, and the joyful presence that she brought to every task and meeting—no matter how big or small. |
|
ASCA Content (12/17/24)
|
|
|
|
|
Price increases for five of the 10 drugs that contributed the most to a rise in U.S. medical spending in 2023 were not supported by clinical evidence and drove costs higher by $815 million, an influential drug pricing watchdog said on Thursday. The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) said that half of the drugs assessed had price increases based on new evidence of additional benefits or reduced harm, while the other half lacked such evidence.
|
|
Reuters (12/12/24) Sriparna Roy
|
|
|
|
The OAS CAHPS Survey will become mandatory starting January 1, 2025, for all eligible Medicare-certified ASCs. It’s imperative that facilities start now.The survey is designed to measure patient experience with overall care received in ASCs. Visit ASCA’s OAS CAHPS Survey page to learn more about the approved survey vendors and find out what you need to do to get started. ASCA members receive a discount if they use Press Ganey as their vendor. Press Ganey clients are invited to attend weekly implementation sessions each Tuesday and Thursday where they can ask questions about survey setup, regulatory requirements and more. |
|
ASCA Content (12/17/24)
|
|
|
|
|
When George Lai of Portland, Oregon, took his toddler son to a pediatrician last summer for a checkup, the doctor noticed a little splinter in the child’s palm. The doctor grabbed a pair of forceps — aka tweezers — and pulled out the splinter in “a second,” Lai said. That brief tug was transformed into a surgical billing code: Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code 10120, “incision and removal of a foreign body, subcutaneous” — at a cost of $414.
|
|
KFF Health News (12/13/24) Elisabeth Rosenthal
|
|
|
|
ASCA Board Treasurer Todd Currier hosted Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), chair of the US Senate Committee on Finance, for a tour of Bend Surgery Center in Bend, Oregon, in October. During the tour, discussion surrounded the state of providing healthcare, including the increasing cost of care and declining reimbursement, and the need to support the Outpatient Surgery Quality and Access Act of 2023. Read this Digital Debut for an excerpt from an interview with Currier, administrator of the surgery center. |
|
ASCA Content (12/17/24)
|
|
|
Happy Holidays! ASCA News Digest to Return January 7
|
|
The ASCA News Digest will not be released next week. The next edition will be published on Tuesday, January 7.
ASCA wishes you a safe and happy holiday season!
|
|
ASCA Content (12/17/24)
|
|
About ASCAMission: The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) is the national membership association that represents ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and provides advocacy and resources to assist ASCs in delivering high-quality, cost-effective ambulatory surgery to all the patients they serve. About Us: At ASCA, we are eager to help you become better acquainted with our nation's ASCs and the people who own and operate them. We are also eager to help you develop policies on ASC-related issues. If you have questions, please contact us. We'll put you in touch with the experts and, if you like, arrange for you to visit an ASC in your area. Contact Us: Advertising inquiries should be addressed to Chris Schriever or Alex Yewdell at 202.337.1897 or at advertising@ascassociation.org. Follow ASCA on
|
|
|
|
|