Acute-care hospitals in Pennsylvania have asked Congress to examine ambulatory surgery centers as a possible source of reimbursement cuts, according to a Health Leaders Media report.
The hospitals believe that a review by the "super committee" will demonstrate that surgery centers are cherry-picking lucrative, privately insured patients rather than treating Medicare and Medicaid patients.
Michael P. Strazzella, senior vice president for federal relations and political development at the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, said Pennsylvania hospitals face $9 billion in cuts in the foreseeable future. He said "there are other people who can afford to take those kinds of cuts without impact [sic] the care they provide," according to the report.
A report by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council released last month showed that surgery center total profit margins have exceeded 26 percent in each of the past three years, compared to an average acute-care hospital margin of 5.2 percent. The Pennsylvania Ambulatory Surgery Association responded to criticism of the surgery center business model by pointing out that margins between ASCs and hospitals cannot be accurately compared.
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The hospitals believe that a review by the "super committee" will demonstrate that surgery centers are cherry-picking lucrative, privately insured patients rather than treating Medicare and Medicaid patients.
Michael P. Strazzella, senior vice president for federal relations and political development at the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, said Pennsylvania hospitals face $9 billion in cuts in the foreseeable future. He said "there are other people who can afford to take those kinds of cuts without impact [sic] the care they provide," according to the report.
A report by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council released last month showed that surgery center total profit margins have exceeded 26 percent in each of the past three years, compared to an average acute-care hospital margin of 5.2 percent. The Pennsylvania Ambulatory Surgery Association responded to criticism of the surgery center business model by pointing out that margins between ASCs and hospitals cannot be accurately compared.
Related Articles on Surgery Centers and Hospitals:
North Carolina Hospital Awaits Ruling on Proposed $39M Surgery Center
Los Angeles Hospital Expansion to Include New Surgery Center
14 New Surgery Centers Opened or Announced in September