Jason Richardson is the CEO of Boulder, Colo.-based Gastroenterology of the Rockies. Mr. Richardson spoke with Becker's ASC Review about the influx of private equity in the ASC industry and how he thinks President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief law, dubbed the American Rescue Plan, could help ASCs.
Question: Is private equity investment good or bad for ASCs? Why?
Jason Richardson: There are tradeoffs with private equity investment in healthcare. The good is that it will accelerate transition of procedures from hospitals to the lower-cost ASCs by infusing capital investments into ASC development.
Q: How could President Biden's $1.9 trillion relief plan's subsidies for payers affect ASCs?
JR: Regardless of personal political leanings, this will have a positive impact as it will get vaccines in arms, people back to work and eventually reduce the population of the uninsured. The pandemic has resulted in millions of people putting off necessary healthcare and preventive care. By stimulating the economy, more people will have health insurance and income to pay for desperately needed preventive care or elective surgeries.