The Justice Department filed to dismiss the government's indictment against Deerfield, Ill.-based ASC chain SCA Health, formerly Surgical Care Affiliates, for allegedly agreeing with competitors to not poach senior-level employees. 

The CMS ASC payable list has seen sizable change in the last five years — through both additions and removals. 

HHS' Office of Inspector General has issued an advisory opinion on a new safe harbor to kickback laws that aims to increase quality while reducing costs, according to a Nov. 14 article in JDSupra from law firm WilmerHale. 

HHS' Office of Inspector General released its General Compliance Program Guidance on Nov. 6, providing an overview on Stark law and physician referrals. 

Eighty-nine percent of providers said that prior authorizations were very or extremely burdensome, according to the Medical Group Management Association's 2023 "Regulatory Burden Report." 

Stark law settled a record-breaking $9.2 million in voluntary self-referral disclosure settlements in 2022, and many physician leaders have experienced obstacles stemming from Stark law policy. 

Ninety-seven percent of providers' patients have received delays or denials for necessary care due to prior authorization requirements, according to the Medical Group Management Association's 2023 "Regulatory Burden Report." 

Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger has been added to Capital Blue Cross' Medicare Advantage network, beginning Jan. 1, according to a Nov. 9 report from The Valley Ledger.

The average Medicare Advantage beneficiary can choose from a total of 43 plans for the 2024 enrollment period, the same number of plan options as 2023, according to data from KFF published Nov. 8. 

California has the largest number of providers accepting UnitedHealthcare insurance plans statewide, in addition to having more ASCs than any other state, according to the most recent data from the payer's website. 

Here are three updates on UnitedHealthcare that Becker's has reported since Nov. 1:

Here are three recent rulings from CMS that affect ASCs: 

Pediatric intensivist David Lankford, MD, is suing his former employer, Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Lutheran Hospital, to get out of a noncompete clause in his contract, local PBS affiliate WFYI reported Nov. 2. 

In August, Greenville, S.C.-based Prisma Health warned its patients that starting Jan. 1, the health system might be out of network with UnitedHealthcare. Now, as the negotiation deadline looms, it seems more and more likely, according to a Nov. 3 report from NBC affiliate WYFF. 

The average cost of employing a provider full time in the third quarter of this year was $611,194, representing a rising cost of labor, according to data from Kaufman Hall.

The average revenue earned by physicians and advanced practice providers via treating patients is on the rise, according to data from Kaufman Hall.

CMS added 11 procedures to the ASC-covered list in the ASC Payment System Final Rule released Nov. 2 that were not included in the proposed rule. 

CMS has finalized a 3.1% payment rate for ASCs. 

CMS will reduce overall physician pay 1.25% in 2024, while boosting pay for some visits including primary and longitudinal care.

Oakland, Calif.-based physician Henry Geoffrey Watson, MD, was convicted for accepting kickbacks for patient referrals, healthcare fraud and false statements.