Pennsylvania's new $32.7 billion budget does not include a proposed tax on ASC revenues, marking a victory for the coalition of surgery center advocates that opposed the tax, according to the Pennsylvania Medical Society.
Here's what you should know:
1. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, D, had proposed a 2.81 percent tax on net patient revenue for ASCs and endoscopy centers. The budget he approved June 22 does not include the tax.
2. The Pennsylvania Ambulatory Surgery Association led a coalition of 17 state-based medical societies, including PAMED, to oppose the tax.
3. The proposal could have created an annual tax burden of approximately $100,000 for each ASC in the state, according to the coalition.
4. The new budget allocates millions of dollars to certain healthcare services, including:
- $4.5 million to home-visiting services for families affected by opioid use disorder.
- $2.5 million for Lyme disease prevention and education initiatives.
- More than $3 million to the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program.
- More than $662,000 to the managed care program Community HealthChoices.
For more details on the 2018-2019 budget, visit the Pennsylvania Office of the Budget website.