The future of ASCs heavily depends on the outcome of the struggle for better payments.
Suzi Cunningham, administrator at Advanced Ambulatory Surgery Center in Redlands, Calif., connected with Becker's to answer, "What is the future of ASCs in one word and why?"
Note: This response has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Suzi Cunningham: Precarious: ASCs will continue to fight for equal payment as their counterparts. We have the same supply costs, implant costs, insurance costs, overhead costs and staffing costs, yet we get a fraction of what CMS deems appropriate for other settings. If this doesn't change, ASCs will be squeezed out and the greatest impact will be to the communities we serve.