ASCs began 2020 tracking ahead of 2019 in terms of overall case volume, based on procedure claims data from Definitive Healthcare.
But when the pandemic hit, procedure claims dropped in the double digits for March, April and May before recovering again in June. The remainder of the year was volatile, depending on spikes in COVID-19 cases around the country and how different states handled outpatient surgery restrictions.
Here is a breakdown of total ASC claims per month and the year-over-year increase or decline:
1. January: 4,066,819 (8.3 percent)
2. February: 3,818,149 (14 percent)
3. March: 2,901,291 (-20 percent)
4. April: 1,262,964 (-67.6 percent)
5. May: 2,574,209 (-33.4 percent)
6. June: 3,792,968 (6.6 percent)
7. July: 3,824,747 (1.4 percent)
8. August: 3,722,167 (-3.4 percent)
9. September: 3,857,805 (6.5 percent)
10. October: 4,021,707 (-6.2 percent)
11. November: 3,521,940 (-9.3 percent)
12. December: 3,537,561 (-9 percent)
2020 ended with 40,902,327 ASC claims, dropping 9.8 percent from the 45,348,925 claims submitted in 2019.