Tulsa, Okla.-based Ascension St. John has joined Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma's Medicare Advantage network, according to a Nov. 30 report from the Owasso Reporter.

A Georgia Senate committee has recommended the repeal of certificate-of-need laws in their entirety, according to a Nov. 29 report from the panel. 

Tumwater, Wash,-based sleep disorder practice Innovative Sleep Centers will pay $644,562 to resolve allegations it improperly billed Medicare and Medicaid. 

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas is expanding its Medicare Advantage coverage for 2024, entering 80 additional counties in the state. 

A proposed bill in the Florida House would eliminate noncompete agreements for physicians, NBC affiliate WCTV reported Nov. 29.

Here are five recent CMS moves that are shaping the ASC industry:

Certificate-of-need laws, which require healthcare providers to receive government permission to build facilities, are an obstacle for ASC growth in many markets. 

Five ASC leaders recently joined Becker's to discuss how reimbursement issues remain one of the biggest challenges for surgery centers in many markets. 

A Kings Point, N.Y.-based physician has been found guilty in a kickback scheme that defrauded Medicaid and subjected patients to procedures they did not need. 

At the Becker's 29th Annual ASC Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, David Law, chief client officer of Zotec Partners, and Lisa Bridwell, client relationship manager at the revenue cycle management company, discussed the importance of a patient-focused approach in revenue cycle management. 

Johnson City, Tenn.-based State of Franklin Healthcare Associates has joined Farm Bureau Health Plans' Medicare Advantage network, in a move that comes as several major health systems are shying away from Medicare Advantage partnerships. 

ASCs have long faced obstacles to reimbursements, and some leaders are finding increasing obstacles to securing necessary pay for procedures. 

The chief compliance officer of a pharmacy holding company was sentenced to four years and six months in prison and must pay $21.7 million in restitution for his role in a healthcare fraud scheme. 

An often-overlooked part of running a practice is how to handle billing and collections. Having a partnership with a collections agency is something practices should consider, according to a Nov. 6 post by Anesthesia Business Consultants on its website.

Two pharmacy owners and a physician have been convicted for their role in a healthcare fraud, money laundering and tax evasion scheme. 

Here are five numbers about certificate-of-need laws that ASC leaders should know:

U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, MD, Catherine Cortez Mastro, Elizabeth Warren and Marsha Blackburn have introduced bipartisan legislation to improve the transparency of Medicare Advantage plans. 

The Federal Trade Commission proposed a rule in January that would keep employees free from noncompete agreements nationwide. 

Insurance giant UnitedHealth Group is facing a lawsuit alleging it used an artificial intelligence algorithm to wrongfully deny coverage to older patients for care under its Medicare Advantage health policies, Bloomberg Law reported Nov. 14.

A 2023 report from insurer Humana shows that Medicare Advantage patients receiving care through value-based arrangements spend more time with their physicians and have better care outcomes than their non-value-based counterparts.