CMS' approval of percutaneous coronary interventions in ASCs will accelerate the outmigration of cardiovascular care, according to an article on Cath Lab Digest.
Before CMS moved PCIs to the ASC-approved list, Bain & Co. predicted that one-third of cardiovascular cases would be performed in ASCs by the mid-2020s. Now, some predict that number will be even higher.
In a contributed piece on CLD, Marc Toth, vice president of cardiovascular services for Phoenix-based Atlas Healthcare Partners, and Derek Mitzel, DO, CMO of Phoenix-based Banner Ambulatory Surgery Centers, explained why they think health systems should embrace this opportunity:
1. ASCs are comfortable, cost-effective and convenient, providing a better and more personalized patient experience.
2. Interventional procedures are safe and appropriate for the ASC setting due to advancements such as transradial access and same-day discharge. ASCs have been safely implanting pacemakers, defibrillators and loop recorders for years.
3. Moving routine, low-acuity cardiovascular procedures out of the hospital can free up catheterization and electrophysiology labs for complex, high-margin procedures.
4. The American College of Cardiology and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions both support the provision of PCIs in the ASC setting.
5. Moving 5 percent of coronary interventions from hospitals to ASCs could reduce Medicare payments by about $20 million and total beneficiary copays by about $5 million in 2020, CMS estimated in its final rule.