Here are five numbers threatening ASCs in 2025:
2.83%: In November 2024, CMS finalized a 94-cent (2.83%) conversion factor decrease from 2024. The physician fee schedule conversion factor for 2025 is $32.35, down from $33.29 in 2024. Physicians and medical groups have expressed concern over the decrease in reimbursements, sharing that year-over-year decreases are proving unsustainable for many.
1,941: The number of ASCs under a partnership by a national operator in 2023. In 2011, there were 1,339 centers under a national operator, marking a decrease in ASC independence over the last decade.
29: The number of ASC and physician practice closures in 2024, as reported by Becker's.
85%: A handful of national insurers have announced plans to cap CRNA reimbursement rates at 85% of the physician fee schedule. This could provide pain points for patients and providers, especially in rural practice areas.
44%: In the 2022 match, 44% of applicants seeking an anesthesiology residency did not match. This may further exacerbate the ongoing anesthesia shortage, a major operational challenge for ASCs.