Three predictions from reports about the ASC market published recently:
1. ASCs, along with medical office buildings and urgent care centers, have a positive outlook for investment in the healthcare real estate market, according to The Advisory Board. Even though ASCs carry some risk due to their lower profit margins, the growth of procedures moving to the ASC setting gives them good investment prospects.
2. Procedures performed in freestanding surgery centers cost less than those performed in hospital settings, and it's an area poised for growth, Axios reports. The number of procedures done in outpatient surgery centers is expected to increase by 4 million from by 2021, reaching 27 million, according to Bain & Co. If the consulting firm's estimates are correct, $43 billion worth of procedures will take place in surgery centers.
3. The top three specialties Bain & Co. predicts will lead growth opportunities in ASCs are cardiology, spine and orthopedics, with all three specialties expected to grow 30 percent to 68 percent through 2021.