From GI tech to payer behavior, here are three ASC leaders on the industry:
Question: Are you seeing payers moving procedures to the ASC setting, or are you seeing more obstacles to securing reimbursements?
Laren Tan, MD. Chair of Loma Linda (Calif.) University Health's Department of Medicine. There are definitely more policies and obstacles being issued by payers that nudge patient care in obtaining treatments outside the hospital settings. At times the preauthorization can be complex, which leads to not only clinician frustration but also a complicated patient experience.
It is understandable why payers are moving procedures to the ASC setting. Still, it also highlights the complexity of our healthcare environment and the increasing challenge it is and will be for clinicians as we continue to navigate the ever-changing healthcare economic landscape.
Q: What do you wish your co-workers knew about your job?
Craig Sarine. CEO of University Surgical Associates (Chattanooga, Tenn.): I guess it is a "wish they knew, but they are probably glad they don't know" thing. This has been a challenging time in healthcare. Navigating regulations, insurance company gauntlets and maintaining competitive pay scales in an environment of continually shrinking payment rates make continued participation in our industry tenuous at present. It would be nice if the staff knew what it took to keep the ship sailing, but part of our job is to take care of all that so they can continue to focus on providing the best care possible.
Q: What are you most excited about?
Austin Chiang, MD. Chief Medical Officer of Gastrointestinal at Medtronic: What excites me the most is that these [gastroenterology technologies] are truly disruptive technologies and keeping with the times. The internet, the digital age and seeing how that intersects with healthcare is very exciting and not something that I think people would've necessarily imagined several decades ago.