Outpatient surgery facilities are not held to the same level of transparency as other medical facilities, according to KPBS. However, the Affordable Care Act will mandate the 5,400 ASCs across the nation report quality information to receive Medicare reimbursement.
Here are four things to know:
1. CMS plans to release eight new quality scores for ASCs.
2. Proponents of this increased scrutiny believe outpatient facilities should have to answer to patient outcomes, just the same as hospitals.
3. The newly released statistics will aid patients in choosing where to undergo surgery, based on information like the rate of transfers to hospitals. Patients will also benefit from knowing a center's expertise in a certain procedure and how many times that procedure has been performed.
4. The Office of the Inspector General plans to release a report on Medicare's quality oversight of ASCs.
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