Four ASC leaders weighed in on the top trends they expect to see drive ASC growth in 2019 in the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association's ASC Physician Focus newsletter.
Here are the key details to know:
1. Bundled payments. According to Westchester, Ill.-based Regent Surgical Health's CEO Chris Bishop, high-cost and high-volume procedures such as spinal fusions and joint replacements will be a trend for ASCs to watch in 2019. Bundled payments are the fastest-growing payment type, with a projected growth of 6 percent over the next five years.
2. Value-based care. The viability and growth of ASCs will be greatly influenced by the growth of value-based care, according to Deerfield, Ill.-based Surgical Care Affiliates CEO Tony Kilgore. Value-based care contracting can be challenging for ASCs that aren't prepared to manage value-based reimbursement by themselves.
3. Consolidation. The scope of the ASC landscape is changing quickly, said Houston-based Elite Surgical Affiliates CEO Lori Ramirez. Analytics, quality and outcomes data will also shape ASC companies' success in the next few years.
4. Medicare-approved ASC procedure list. Addison, Texas-based United Surgical Partners International Market President Peggy Wellman said ASCs' ability to take on new cardiology, total joint and spine cases will be validated by the growth of the Medicare-approved ASC procedure list.