Physicians have been gravitating toward ASCs for years, but now they're more often choosing to do so with hospital partnership, Medical Consulting Group's Robert McCarville and Stephen Sheppard said in a December article published by EyeWorld.
Mr. McCarville and Mr. Sheppard identified three reasons physicians are embracing ASC joint ventures:
1. Certificate-of-need barriers can hamper physician entrance into certain markets with existing hospitals, making partnership an appealing option.
2. Partnering with a hospital can give physicians greater leverage in payer negotiations, resulting in expanded access or higher reimbursement rates than they would have otherwise obtained.
3. Hospital partnership gives ASCs access to stable funding, allowing them to invest in newer technology and top talent.