September/October 2015 Issue of Becker's ASC Review

On the Cover

	14 Observations, Thoughts & Issues for ASCs 2015-2016 There are several big themes that currently run throughout the ASC industry. Click here to Continue >>
	Flipping HOPDs to ASCs: A New Industry Trend? 5 Key Thoughts Hospital outpatient departments have traditionally yielded favorable reimbursement, while remaining under a hospital's control. Click here to Continue >>
	ASC Efficiency: Best Strategies to Overcome Today's Toughest Challenges Ambulatory surgery center efficiency is important, but there are several challenges for today's centers. Click here to Continue >>

ASC Management

Preparing your ASC for a Valuation
What's it really worth? Click here to continue>>

GI Society Roundtable: Putting Together the Game Plan for Potential Colonoscopy Cuts
Medicare reimbursement for colonoscopy could be cut significantly in 2016, but the three sister GI societies are not sitting idly by. Click here to continue>>

CMS Proposes Colonoscopy Payment Cuts for 2016: 4 Key Points
CMS has released the 2016 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule, which includes cuts for colonoscopy and other lower GI/endoscopy procedures, according to the American Gastroenterological Association. Click here to continue>>

Payment Landscape Forecast: 3 Gastroenterologists Consider the Possibility of Colonoscopy Reimbursement Cuts
CMS has released the 2016 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule, which could put into action payment cuts for colonoscopy and other lower GI/endoscopy procedures of up to 19 percent. Click here to continue>>

Dr. Dana Lukin: The Most Exciting Developments in IBD Treatment
Gastroenterologists provide care to many different kinds of patients, including those with chronic conditions. Click here to continue>>

11 GI/Endoscopy Center Openings, Plans & Acquisitions in 2015
Here are 11 gastroenterology and endoscopy-driven centers that have been opened, announced or acquired in 2015. Click here to continue>>

20 GI/Endoscopy Company Updates for the 1st Half of 2015
Here are 20 news updates on gastroenterology and endoscopy company activity in the first half of the year. Click here to continue>>

7 Things to Know About Endoscopy Competency Training
A recent study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology examined gastroenterology fellowship programs' readiness for competency-based evaluation in endoscopic procedural training. Click here to continue>>

14 Gastroenterologists Leading IBD Fellowship Programs
Here are 14 GI physicians who head up inflammatory bowel disease programs at some of the leading medical centers and schools in the country. Click here to continue>>

170 GI Physicians Making Headlines in 2015 So Far
Here are 170 gastroenterologists making headlines in the first half of the year. Click here to continue>>

5 Things to Know About the Independent Physician Landscape
The American Medical Association reports the majority of physicians are still in wholly physician-owned practices. Click here to continue>>

New Edibles in Development for Colonoscopy Prep: 5 Things to Know
Colonoscopy preparation is one of the biggest barriers when it comes to colorectal cancer screening, but the distasteful process may be about to change. Click here to continue>>

CMS Votes to Uphold Medicare Reimbursement for Cologuard
The CMS Advisory Panel on Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory Tests recently held a vote on whether to maintain current Medicare reimbursement for Exact Sciences' Cologuard. Click here to continue>>

GI Drugs Excluded From CVS Caremark, Express Scripts Coverage in 2016
CVS Caremark and Express Scripts have released lists of medications that will be excluded from insurance coverage next year, according to an American Gastroenterological Association report. Click here to continue>>

How an Orthopedics-Focused ASC Corralled Implant Issues & Makes Big Spine Surgeries Cost-Effective
DISC Sports & Spine has two ambulatory surgery centers - one in Marina del Ray and the other in Newport Beach, Calif. - and both centers are thriving due to a dedicated team of medical specialists constantly looking for opportunities to improve. Click here to continue>>

Borland-Groover Clinic to Drop Blue Cross & Blue Shield Contract Due to Proposed 50% Reimbursement Cut: 5 Things to Know
Borland-Groover Clinic, a gastroenterology provider in Palm Coast, Fla., plans to no longer be a participating provider with Blue Cross and Blue Shield, according to a Jacksonville Business Journal. Click here to continue>>

Executive Briefing: Orthopedic Robots for ASCs

Building an Orthopedics ASC Robotics Program: Benefits, Considerations & Where Technology is Headed
Orthopedic surgeons Joseph Burkhardt, MD of Great Lakes Bone & Joint Center in Battle Creek, Mich., and Sridhar Durbhakula, MD, of OrthoBethesda in Bethesda, Md., discuss the Navio Surgical System, a robotics-assisted technology for partial knee surgery, and where outpatient procedures are headed in the future. Click here to continue >>

10 Hospitals & Health Systems With Strong Finances

Here are 10 hospitals and health systems with strong operational metrics and solid financial positions, based on reports from Moody's Investors Service, Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor's Ratings Service in the past month. Click here to continue >>

Carilion Clinic Converting Grocery Store into $15M Orthopedics, Spine Institute - 5 Key Notes
Carilion Clinic is transitioning a former grocery store into a new medical building for orthopedics and neurosciences, according to a report from The Roanoke Times. Click here to continue >>

Executive Briefing: Out-of-Network Operations

Time to Assess the Opportunities, Risks & Issues in a Changing Market

Out-of-network operations have formed a significant component of the business of ambulatory surgery centers for many years. Click here to continue >>

ASC Transactions

10 Things for ASC Leaders to Know About CONs
Before opening an ASC in many markets, owners will need to navigate a certificate of need process. Click here to continue >>

Tenet Reports Q2 Results: 5 Things to Know Post-USPI Acquisition
Tenet Healthcare has reported its financial results for the second quarter of 2015. Click here to continue >>

High Plains Surgery Center, Covenant SurgiCenter Merge
Effective immediately, High Plains Surgery Center and Covenant SurgiCenter, both in Lubbock, Texas, have merged, according to a Lubbock Avalanche-Journal report. Click here to continue >>

AmSurg's Q2 Net Revenues Up 131%: 5 Key Notes
AmSurg has reported its financial results for the second quarter of 2015. Click here to continue >>

SCA's Q2 Net Patient Revenues Jump 7.1%: 5 Key Notes
Surgical Care Affiliates has reported its financial results for the second quarter of 2015. Click here to continue >>

Selling Equity in ASCs - An Investigation of Key Legal Concepts and Certain Equity Sale Models
For most ambulatory surgery centers, there are numerous business, operational and inter-personal considerations involved with identifying appropriate physician partners and selling shares to such partners. Click here to continue >>

AAAHC CEO Stephen Martin Jr.: 5 Key Trends for Successful ASCs to Know
Stephen Martin Jr., PhD, the new CEO of the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, discusses the biggest factors impacting surgery centers today and how ASCs are overcoming industry challenges to thrive in the future. Click here to continue >>

What is 'The Cloud?' 10 Key Facts
Below are 10 key facts for healthcare providers to know about "the cloud." Click here to continue >>

US Health Spending to Reach $5.4T by 2024: 5 Notes
The U.S. health spending growth rate is projected to average 5.8 percent from 2014 to 2024, CMS reported in a Health Affairs report. Click here to continue >>

CMS Names 11 New Procedures for the ASC Payable Lis tin 2016: Spine, Laparoscopy & More
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed adding 11 new procedures to the ASC payable list next year, according to a report from ASCA. Click here to continue >>

Top 5 Reasons Why Physicians Want to Change Workplaces
More than a third of physicians (39.3 percent) wish that they could change their workplace, according to Physicians Practice's 2015 Great American Physician Survey. Click here to continue >>

Kissing Camels Surgery Center Antitrust Lawsuit Against Centura Health to Go to Trial: 6 Things to Know
The Colorado Springs, Colo.-based, Kissing Camels Surgery Center's antitrust case against Centura Health, based in Englewood, Colo., will proceed to trial, according to The National Law Review. Click here to continue >>

11 Things to Know About Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is one of the top three most popular ASC specialties. Click here to continue >>

6 Statistics on Public Health Insurance Exchange Enrollees
Here are six things to know about public health insurance exchange enrollees, according to the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions' 2015 Survey of U.S. Health Care Consumers. Click here to continue >>

Executive Briefing: Foot and Ankle Anthrodesis Technology

Foot and Ankle Surgery Technology: Cellular Bone Allografts

Due to an aging population and contributory comorbidities, foot and ankle arthrodesis procedures are expected to continue to increase in the coming years. Click here to continue >>

6 Things to Know About Orthofix
Here are six things to know about Orthofix, a Lewisville, Texas-based reconstructive and regenerative orthopedic and spine solutions company. Click here to continue >>

A Deeper Dive Into CMS' Proposed Stark Law Modifications: 6 Key Points
CMS released a proposed rule earlier this month that would update the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for calendar year 2016. Click here to continue >>

High-Quality Colonoscopy Linked With Cost Savings: 7 Key Points
Adenoma detection rate is one of the key colonoscopy quality indicators. Click here to continue >>

Orthopedic Section

23 Statistics for Orthopedic Surgeons - Compensation, Net Worth & More
1. Orthopedists earn an average salary of $421,000 annually. Click here to continue >>

Surgeon Scorecard - Good or Bad for Orthopedics? 5 Things to Know
ProPublica released the "Surgeon Scorecard" database as part of the ongoing "Dollars to Doctors" feature for patients to gauge their providers' complication rates. Click here to continue >>

CNN Names Dr. Daniel Ivankovich 2015 Hero
Daniel Ivankovich, MD, an orthopedic surgeon in Chicago, was named a 2015 CNN Hero. Click here to continue >>

Reimbursement, Opportunities & More - Dr. Charles Bush-Joseph's Key Thoughts on Orthopedics in the Future
Charles Bush-Joseph, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Midwest Orthopedics at Rush in Chicago, discussed reimbursement for outpatient orthopedic surgery and where independent practices is headed in the future. Click here to continue >>

In-Home Telerehabilitation Outcomes Positive After Total Knee Replacement: 5 Things to Know
According to a study in the July Issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, patients receiving telerehabilitation following TKR surgery experienced similar outcomes to patients receiving in-person physical therapy. Click here to continue >>

Becoming a Top ASC - Survival in the Evolving Healthcare Market
Changes in reimbursement have pushed the envelope regarding efficiency and fiscal responsibility significantly over the past five years. Click here to continue >>

Dr. David Geier: Key Thoughts for Orthopedic Surgeons on the ICD-10 Transition
David Geier, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Sports Medicine Specialists of Charleston and East Cooper Sports Medicine discusses concern orthopedic surgeons have pertaining to the upcoming ICD-10 transition and the ways surgeons are reimbursed. Click here to continue >>

Where are Spine Referrals Coming From Today?
Here six spine surgeons share insight about the origin of their referrals. Click here to continue >>

Spinal Fusion After 10 Years: 5 Key Notes on Adjacent Segment Disease
A new study published in Spine examines adjacent segment disease risk factors for patients 10 years or more after posterior lumbar interbody fusion. Click here to continue >>

Texas A&M Honors Dr. Richard Steadman: 5 Things to Know
J. Richard Steadman, MD, received the 2015 Distinguished Alumni Award from Texas A&M University, according to an AAAOS Now report. Click here to continue >>

Coding, Billing & Collections

10 States With Least Competitive Commercial Health Insurance Markets
The American Medical Association released its latest analysis of competition in health insurance markets in all states and Washington D.C. Click here to continue >>

Surgery Partners Files for IPO: 5 Things to Know
Surgery Partners' announced plans to file for an initial public offering in May. Click here to continue >>

ICD-10 Troubleshooting: Ounce of Prevention Worth a Pound of Cure
With less than one month to go until the Oct. 1 deadline, it's a race against the clock for U.S. healthcare providers to transition to the 10th version of the International Classification of Diseases. Click here to continue >>

50 Things to Know About the ASC Industry
1. Each year, physicians perform more than 23 million procedures in ASCs. Click here to continue >>

Cigna Files Multimillion-Dollar Suit Against 11 ASCs for OON Fee-Forgiveness Model: 7 Things to Know
Cigna Health and Life Insurance Co. filed a billing fraud suit in federal court attempting to recoup millions paid to 11 Indiana-based surgical centers allegedly participating in a "fee forgiveness" model to attract Cigna's out-of-network patients, according to a Law 360 report. Click here to continue >>

10 Key Notes on High Deductible Health Plans
Healthcare costs have steadily crept up for years and now the industry is faced with understanding and combating that rise. Click here to continue >>

Capital Digestive Care, Cigna Partner on Value-Based Colonoscopy Model: 5 Things to Know
Capital Digestive Care, based in Silver SPring, Md., has partnered with Cigna to develop a program designed to improve quality and cost of care for colonoscopy patients. Click here to continue >>

How Big Five Insurer Mergers Could Affect Market Shares in 4 States
The merger mania among health insurers is evoking concern among many industry experts that consolidation could negatively affect hospitals, especially those in certain states. Click here to continue >>

Anthem to Buy Cigna - And Then There Were Three: 7 Key Points
Anthem announced that is has reached terms to buy Cigna. Click here to continue >>

Insurer Mega-Mergers Could Produce Counterintuitive Effort
Following the news of the hallmark acquisition of Humana by Aetna, many observers' first though - and concern - is this kind of consolidation is a bad thing, as it will inevitably lead to less competition and higher prices. Click here to continue >>

ASC Success in the Age of Consumer Responsibility: 3 Thoughts on High Deductible Patients
From January 2013 to January 2014 the number of people enrolled in health savings accounts/high deductible health plans increased from 15.5 million to 17.4 million, according to an American Health Insurance Plans survey. Click here to continue >>

65 ASC Company CEOs to Know - 2015
The ASC industry, like all of healthcare, has undergone waves of consolidation, but there remain a number of companies that offer management and development services. Click here to continue >>

ASC Quality & Accreditation

10 Disasters to Include in Emergency Management Programs
The Joint Commission released a list of potential disasters to prepare for with an emergency management plan or emergency operations plan. Click here to continue >>

10 Key Apps for Nurses
(Number 1) NurseGrid: This app is a personal scheduling and communication tool for nurses. Click here to continue >>

Communication Distractions Derail Patient Handoffs in ASCs: 7 Key Notes
Communication errors are a key factor in what can commonly derail patient handoffs in the ASC, according to investigators at the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in Camden, N.J. Click here to continue >>

11 Things to Know About ASC Quality Reporting
Here are 11 key notes on quality report for ASCs. Click here to continue >>

CMS Penalizes 2.5k Hospitals for High Readmissions: 10 Things to Know
In the fourth year of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, 2,592 hospitals will face penalties to their Medicare reimbursements for a high number of 30-day readmissions. Click here to continue >>

11 Trendy Apps for ASC Physicians
Here are 11 Apps for ASC Physicians. Click here to continue >>

CMS' Final IPPS Rule for 2016: 10 Things to Know
CMS has issued its inpatient prospective payments systems final rule for fiscal year 2016, which calls for an increase in Medicare reimbursements to some hospitals in the next fiscal year. Click here to continue >>