|
|
|
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is increasing quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries while significantly reducing unnecessary spending and promoting payment accuracy. The calendar year 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule advances primary care management through improved quality measures, reduces waste and unnecessary use of skin substitutes, and introduces a new payment model focused on improving care for chronic disease management.
|
|
CMS Press Release (10/31/25)
|
|
|
|
Be sure to check out the latest edition of ASCA’s “ ASC Physician Brief,” a quarterly one-pager to share with both the owner and nonowner physicians who work in your ASC. The Fall 2025 edition covers Medicare’s proposed 2026 payment policies for physicians, ASCA’s 2026 annual conference and more. |
|
ASCA Content (11/04/25)
|
|
Procision's AI Powered Patient CommunicationsTraditional patient communication is broken—calls go unanswered, messages get missed, and staff are stretched thin. Discover how AI is closing the gap with smarter, more personal outreach that patients actually respond to.Click here for full article and more details
|
|
|
|
|
Starting Nov. 1, Oklahomans will be able to learn the cost of hundreds of medical procedures before surgery, allowing for cost comparison and consumer shopping on a level never before available, thanks to a new state law. Gov. Kevin Stitt and health-care experts hailed the law at a press conference this week, saying it makes Oklahoma a national leader because the law not only allows price comparisons, but also includes consumer protections that prevent patients from having to pay bills that are not posted in advance of treatment.
|
|
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (10/28/25) Ray Carter
|
|
Imagine increasing the payments at your Surgery Center with easy online payments for patients.... Too good to be true? We do this for ASCs like yours.Book a demo and see how.
|
|
|
|
Renew your ASCA membership online today! With your membership comes a variety of benefits that help you run your ASC more efficiently, provide quality patient care, and stay up to date on industry trends and regulations. ASCA membership includes complimentary access to all of ASCA’s virtual education programs and —new in 2026—ASCA’s Clinical & Operational Benchmarking Survey. Not yet a member? Join now!
|
|
ASCA Content (11/04/25)
|
|
|
|
|
In recent months, federal agents have camped out in the lobby of a Southern California hospital, guarded detained patients — sometimes shackled — in hospital rooms, and chased an immigrant landscaper into a surgical center. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have also shown up at community clinics.
|
|
KFF Health News (10/30/25) Claudia Boyd-Barrett
|
|
|
When cases require IONM, SpecialtyCare is the partner you can count on. Our nationwide network of expert neurophysiologists ensures reliable coverage for your ASC, even in complex cases. We seamlessly integrate with your surgical teams to provide consistent, expert monitoring—reducing risk, avoiding costly complications, and supporting your surgeons when it matters most.
|
|
|
|
Make plans to join us next spring at ASCA’s annual conference—the ASC community’s can’t-miss event of the year. New for 2026, the conference will feature SAMBA, the Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia. This exciting collaboration brings together ASC clinical and operational leaders with experts in outpatient anesthesia to offer a richer, more interdisciplinary learning and networking experience for the entire ASC community. Register for the ASCA + SAMBA Conference & Expo by December 31 to get the best rate! |
|
ASCA Content (11/04/25)
|
|
|
|
|
Elimination of patient cost-sharing for follow-up colonoscopy was associated with an immediate and sustained increase in utilization after positive stool-based tests. While other contextual factors may have contributed, these findings suggest that financial policy interventions can improve completion of the [colorectal cancer] screening process.
|
|
Current Medical Research and Opinion (10/22/25) Mallik Greene; Quang A. Le; A. Burak Ozbay; et al.
|
|
|
|
Improve your ASC’s financial performance with ASCA’s Financial Strategies for ASCs virtual course. Both parts of this course, Part I: Finance 101 and Part II: Finance 201, are available on demand. The course provides key financial insights, covering topics like balance sheets, income statements, expense management, Medicare reimbursement and budgeting. This course—along with ASCA’s entire suite of virtual education—is included in 2025 ASCA membership and also available for purchase by nonmembers. Register today! |
|
ASCA Content (11/04/25)
|
|
|
|
|
Amsurg announced the extension of its network with the acquisition of Surgery Center of Conway. Located at 1405 North Main Street in the heart of Conway, the center makes Amsurg’s fourth South Carolina–based facility, according to a release. “The partners at Surgery Center of Conway have a long-standing commitment to excellence and to serving their community,” said John Lamberth, chief development officer of Amsurg, in the release.
|
|
ASC Focus (10/31/25)
|
|
|
|
The Patients Deserve Price Tags Act, introduced in the Senate in July by Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) and the House in September by Representative John James (R-MI), is the latest proposal in Congress that seeks to impose hospital-style price transparency requirements on ASCs. Read this Digital Debut to learn more about the legislation and why ASCA is advocating against it. |
|
ASCA Content (11/04/25)
|
|
|
|
|
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) was established to test new payment and service delivery models that reduce Medicare and Medicaid costs while maintaining or improving the quality of care. The structure of Original Medicare often leads to unnecessary treatments and increases the risk of waste, fraud, and abuse.
|
|
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (10/10/25)
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
|