Here are five of the most well-read ASC stories reported by Becker's in 2022:
CMS finalizes 4.5% physician pay cut
Medicare's physician fee schedule final rule, released Nov. 1, will reduce the physician pay conversion factor by 4.48 percent to $33.06. The conversion factor used to calculate physician reimbursement will decline by $1.55 in 2023. With the 4 percent statutory Pay-As-You-Go sequester, which was implemented to offset congressional spending outside of healthcare, physicians are looking at an 8.5 percent pay cut.
Stark Law changes: Physician compensation arrangements to keep an eye on
Hospitals and health systems need to update their physician compensation plans after CMS' recent changes to the Stark Law, according to an article in JDSupra from the law firm Foley and Lardner. These arrangements should be "carefully reviewed" if the hospital seeks to meet the Stark Law employment or indirect compensation arrangement exceptions, according to the Sept. 7 report.
Physicians balk at 'devastating' Medicare proposed pay cuts
Physicians are baffled by Medicare's physician fee schedule proposed rule for 2023, which would reduce the conversion factor by 4.42 percent to $33.08 and potentially decrease older adults' access to care. Nine physician leaders reacted to the CMS proposal, released July.
9 physician billionaires on Forbes' 2022 list
Nine U.S. physicians appeared on Forbes' 36th annual list of the world's richest people. The list featured 33 U.S.-based billionaire entrepreneurs, heirs, inventors and leaders in healthcare, and 2,668 billionaires all together. Below is the list of U.S. physician billionaires and their 2022 net worth.
Amid lingering antitrust issues, Optum's $13 billion acquisition of data analytics firm Change Healthcare is facing more hurdles. Optum owns one of the biggest ASC chains in the U.S., Surgical Care Affiliates, and the company's plans to grow its data capabilities could be in jeopardy after the Justice Department sued to stop the acquisition.