Southern California-based Vitality Health Plan is in dire financial need, which has caused several area hospitals and surgery centers to terminate their contracts with the insurer, The Mercury News reports.

Revenue in the ASC market is estimated to hit $43 billion in 2021, an increase of 54 percent from 2015, according to a report from Bain & Co. In contrast, the number of procedures performed in ASCs is estimated to hit 27 million in 2021, an increase of 35 percent from 2015. This highlights the movement of high-acuity, high-reimbursing specialties into outpatient settings as revenue growth is outpacing procedure growth.

Artificial intelligence technologies can help ASCs alleviate revenue and resource challenges spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic by optimizing workflow and improving revenue capture.

The 2021 CMS Physician Fee Schedule increased work relative value units, but decreased the conversion factor for reimbursement, which could result in healthcare facilities overcompensating physicians if they don't make changes to their reimbursement structure now, according to a VMG Health report.

When providing healthcare services, we are entrusted with the care of vulnerable patients. Patients are medically vulnerable, often with significant and potentially life-threatening conditions.

Becker's ASC Review compiled a timeline of significant medical coding updates that have been proposed or implemented so far this year:

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Wake Forest Baptist Health are collaborating to offer a new Blue High Performance Network, according to an Oct. 1 statement from the insurance provider.

Winchester, Va.-based Valley Health could lose its contract with Anthem of Virginia because of a stalled contract negotiation, Rappahannock News reports.

Since July 1, Becker's ASC Review has reported six significant changes and proposed changes to reimbursement for ASCs:

The Michigan Senate passed surprise medical billing legislation that would remove patients from surprise billing disputes and would pay out-of-network providers from a patient's insurer, Crain's Detroit Business reports.

In today’s competitive environment, creating the ultimate “patient experience” will truly differentiate your surgery center and is paramount to building a successful and growing ASC. To create this experience, a patient should be treated with care, respect and competence in each and every interaction with your staff, your processes, your technology and your surgeons. This article is going to focus specifically on the front end aspects of the patient experience.

President Donald Trump issued two executive orders related to healthcare, including one on surprise medical billing, according to a report from The Hill.

Five ASC owners and operators outline their payer mix and what they anticipate for future reimbursement trends.

A new report from the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association shows performing surgery on Medicare patients in ASCs instead of hospital outpatient departments saved $4.2 billion in 2018, and the savings are expected to climb significantly in the next decade.

Ensuring correct patient demographic and insurance coverage information during emergency outpatient encounters is essential to the health of a hospital’s reimbursement and bottom-line finances. 

Humana and Atlantic City, N.J.-based AtlantiCare reached an agreement to provide in-network care for Medicare Advantage members.

The COVID-19 pandemic was the leading reason for physicians' income limitations in 2020, followed by "personal choice" and "patient volume/load," according to The Medicus Firm's "2020 Practice Preference & Relocation Survey."

In mid-March, hospitals across the country halted elective surgeries due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. While many ASCs did experience initial shock—volume across the nation dropped 80% between February and April—most ASCs have now rebounded to pre-pandemic activity.

In August, the Texas Academy of Family Physicians released a five-point plan to improve primary care access and transition away from fee for service to a prospective payment system.

San Francisco-based Dignity Health and Cigna reached a multiyear agreement after a nine-month renegotiation process, the San Francisco Business Times reports.