26 statistics on ASC growth

Medicare payments to ambulatory surgical centers increased by an annual average of 3.8 percent between 2006 and 2013, according to a Medicare report containing information on Medicare-certified ASCs.

The number of Medicare-certified ASCs grew at an average annual rate of 2.6 percent, averaging 228 new facilities entering the market each year.

Here is a detailed look at the yearly increase in the number of Medicare-certified ASCs:

2006
New Centers – 320
Exiting Centers – 32
Total – 4,490

2007
New Centers – 345
Exiting Centers – 79
Total – 4,756

2008
New Centers – 280
Exiting Centers – 81
Total – 4,955

2009
New Centers – 220
Exiting Centers – 111
Total – 5,064

2010
New Centers – 193
Exiting Centers – 105
Total – 5,152

2011
New Centers – 190
Exiting Centers – 114
Total – 5,228

2012
New Centers – 165
Exiting Centers – 86
Total – 5,307

2013
New Centers – 108
Exiting Centers – 51
Total – 5,364

Note: The report cites the substantial slowing down in the ASC count between 2010 through 2013 may be due in part to the substantially lower rate paid to ambulatory surgery services not provided in a hospital outpatient department, the general decrease in healthcare spending, the general increase in hospital employment of physicians and the major revisions to the ASC payment system of 2008.