Independent ASCs have unique challenges to face when navigating the industry.
Here are five updates that independent ASCs should know:
1. Hospitals and health systems in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Kentucky, New Jersey, Vermont and Washington, D.C., and have reinstated mask mandates. Some ASCs are following suit.
2. Here are three labor trends that employers and employees should expect to see in 2024.
3. Ambulatory services added 19,000 jobs in December, making it the largest growing sector of the healthcare industry. Hospitals added 15,000 and the industry as a whole added 38,000.
4. Minimum wage increases went into effect for 22 states on Jan. 1, giving nearly 10 million workers a raise. Twelve of the states increased minimum wage due to inflation updates, as costs increase for workers and employees nationwide. Additionally, 38 cities and counties will also increase their minimum wages. A list of states and their new minimum wage can be found here.
5. Although corporate ownership may increase a practice's available resources, those benefits do not necessarily carry over to patient care. In a recent survey from NORC at the University of Chicago, nearly 60% of physicians said nonphysician ownership of practices results in a lower quality of patient care. Forty-five percent of physicians surveyed said it worsened their patient relationships.