January/February Issue of Becker's ASC Review
ON THE COVER
ASCs to receive 2.1% increase in 2019 Medicare reimbursement: 6 things to know
CMS released the 2019 final payment rule for hospital outpatient surgery departments and ASCs, including an average rate adjustment on procedures, according to a statement from the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
Salary gap between ASC and hospital leaders narrows — Here's how much
OR Manager's 2018 Salary/Career survey reported seven key statistics on ASC leader pay and demographics. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
Phishing scam bites Georgia Spine and Orthopaedics of Atlanta — 6 details
Georgia Spine and Orthopaedics of Atlanta discovered an unauthorized person gained access to an employee's email account through a phishing scam, and the incident was reported to HHS Nov. 16. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
The new healthcare concepts that can drive ASC growth
Jeffrey Flynn, CASC, administrator of New York City-based Gramercy Surgery Center, discusses how the healthcare landscape is changing and why his ASC won't be bullied by hospitals anymore. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
Chicago ASC physician convicted in $3.5M billing fraud scheme: 5 things to know
Paul Madison, MD, was convicted of healthcare fraud, aggravated identity theft and lying about medical treatment delivery after directing staff to fraudulently bill for procedures at the surgery center where he practiced, according to a Chicago Sun Times report. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
200+ total joint replacement ASC in New Jersey opens new location: 4 things to know
Lawrenceville, N.J.-based Mercer County Surgery Center opened a new location that includes advanced technology for the center's multidisciplinary procedures. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
Moody's: Envision could sell AmSurg for $3B-$3.5B — Will they?
A new Moody's report outlines Envision's strategy after the KKR leveraged buyout, which details the uncertainty around AmSurg, the company's ambulatory division. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
CMS posts payments for ASCs vs. HOPDs — Medicare pays ASCs $359 less for colonoscopy, $1,092 less for knee arthroscopy
CMS has paved the way for price transparency between ASCs and hospital outpatient departments with a new tool that reveals the average payments for select procedures in both settings. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
Texas Digestive Disease Consultants finds PE partner, forms GI practice management company
Southlake-based Texas Digestive Disease Consultants found a private equity partner in Waud Capital Partners, concluding a search process that began earlier this year. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
ASC MANAGEMENT
Phishing scam bites Georgia Spine and Orthopaedics of Atlanta — 6 details
Georgia Spine and Orthopaedics of Atlanta discovered an unauthorized person gained access to an employee's email account through a phishing scam, and the incident was reported to HHS Nov. 16. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
Salary gap between ASC and hospital leaders narrows — Here's how much
OR Manager's 2018 Salary/Career survey reported seven key statistics on ASC leader pay and demographics. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
The new healthcare concepts that can drive ASC growth
Jeffrey Flynn, CASC, administrator of New York City-based Gramercy Surgery Center, discusses how the healthcare landscape is changing and why his ASC won't be bullied by hospitals anymore. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
ADMINISTRATOR'S CORNER
How a North Carolina-based ASC aims to create value for the healthcare system
CEO of Wake Forest Baptist Health Outpatient Surgery-Clemmons (N.C.) Corrie Massey, discusses how her center will continue to grow in the future. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
Why flexibility is a key quality for ASCs today
CEO of Arlington, Texas-based Central Park ENT & Surgery Center Stephen Blake discusses how the changing healthcare landscape affects his surgery center. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
3 key elements of a strong ASC + 3 big goals for 2019
Administrator of Chicago-based APAC Surgical Center II Deb Goodman discusses the three core principles she follows to run a successful business and what she'll focus on in the next year. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
3 core concepts for running a successful ASC from Joe Ollayos
Joe Ollayos, administrator of Tinley Park, Ill.-based Ingalls Same Day Surgery Center, outlines three important business concepts for ASC operators and where his focus will be next year. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
3 key concepts to operate successful ASC teams
Dawn Knight, CEO and administrator of Mokena, Ill.-based Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery, discusses her three key ideas for running a successful business and where she will be focused in 2019. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
JOINT VENTURES
Moody's: Envision could sell AmSurg for $3B-$3.5B — Will they?
A new Moody's report outlines Envision's strategy after the KKR leveraged buyout, which details the uncertainty around AmSurg, the company's ambulatory division. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
Naples Day Surgery shutting down: 5 details
Naples (Fla.) Day Surgery will close permanently Oct. 19 due to low patient volume and competition from other surgery centers, Naples Daily News reports. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
Physician-owned hospital in El Paso to close, citing financial & operational challenges
El Paso (Texas) Specialty Hospital, a physician-owned facility, will close at the end of the year for financial and operational reasons, according to a KFOXTV report. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
ORTHOPEDICS
200+ total joint replacement ASC in New Jersey opens new location: 4 things to know
Lawrenceville, N.J.-based Mercer County Surgery Center opened a new location that includes advanced technology for the center's multidisciplinary procedures. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
New York ASC partners with payer to deliver region's 1st outpatient hip replacements
The Bone and Joint Center of Albany (N.Y.)'s Jared Roberts, MD, performed the first outpatient total hip replacement procedures at Albany-based Capital Region Ambulatory Surgery Center. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
Ohio-based ASC hosts 100th total joint replacement: 4 key notes
Greater Dayton (Ohio) Surgery Center surgeons completed the 100th outpatient total joint replacement at the center earlier in October. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
Laser Spine Institute in Oklahoma City to shut its doors
Oklahoma City-based Laser Spine Institute will close Nov. 30. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
Kansas ASC installs robot for knee replacements: 5 key points
Overland Park (Kan.) Surgical Suites acquired robotic technology for knee replacement procedures. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
New GERD treatment option 'significantly more effective' than standard of care — 5 insights
Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies subsidiary Ethicon's Linx Reflux Management System was "significantly more effective" at treating gastrointestinal reflux disease than acid suppression drugs. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
Texas Digestive Disease Consultants finds PE partner, forms GI practice management company
Southlake-based Texas Digestive Disease Consultants found a private equity partner in Waud Capital Partners, concluding a search process that began earlier this year. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
GI societies slam CMS decision to side with Anthem, devalue GI codes — 5 insights
Major gastroenterology societies harshly criticized the 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule, which makes several significant policy and payment changes. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
These management companies have the most ASCs: 5 points
Out of five major ASC development companies, Addison, Texas-based United Surgical Partners International and Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare own the most ASCs. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
Surgeon performs 100+ outpatient total knee replacements using robotic system
Overland Park (Kan) Surgical Suites offers robotic-assisted total and partial knee replacements with the NAVIO Surgical System. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
CODING AND BILLING
ASCs to receive 2.1% increase in 2019 Medicare reimbursement: 6 things to know
CMS released the 2019 final payment rule for hospital outpatient surgery departments and ASCs, including an average rate adjustment on procedures, according to a statement from the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
Eye Centers of Florida pays $525K to settle Medicare billing fraud allegations: 5 things to know
Eye Centers of Florida, based in Fort Myers, plans to settle Medicare billing fraud allegations with a $525,000 payment, according to the Naples Daily News. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
Chicago ASC physician convicted in $3.5M billing fraud scheme: 5 things to know
Paul Madison, MD, was convicted of healthcare fraud, aggravated identity theft and lying about medical treatment delivery after directing staff to fraudulently bill for procedures at the surgery center where he practiced, according to a Chicago Sun Times report. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
CMS to pay separately for Exparel, non-opioid pain management at ASCs in 2019
The CMS 2019 final payment rule for hospital outpatient surgery departments and ASCs included an average 2.1 percent reimbursement rate increase per procedure for ASCs, as well as a new code for non-opioid pain management drugs. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
Temple Surgery Center shutters after Little River Healthcare files for bankruptcy
Rockdale, Texas-based Little River Healthcare closed all of its facilities and operations Dec. 4 — including Temple (Texas) Surgery Center — due to "unfortunate financial conditions," according to a statement on the system's website. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
HEALTHCARE NEWS
DaVita Medical will pay $270M to resolve False Claims Act violation allegations: 5 things to know
DaVita Medical Holdings will pay $270 million to resolve False Claims Act violation allegations related to inaccurate billing information that led to inflated payments from Medicare Advantage Plan beneficiaries CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
Physician pay, productivity slows for first time in a decade: 5 report statistics
An American Medical Group Association report found physician compensation and productivity did not experience a meaningful increase in 2017. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
Walmart looks to add health clinics in its parking lots
Walmart stores in several states are transforming extra parking lot space into "town centers," some of which could include health clinics, according to Business Insider. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
10 healthcare companies likely to be acquired in next year
While the healthcare industry has historically been ripe for mergers and acquisitions activity, a recent report by Morgan Stanley analysts published in October and cited by Business Insider suggests health companies' high valuations and the wealth of readily available funding for biotechs are limiting the activity within the sector. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
Pain physician convicted of falsifying patient medical records — 6 insights
Moustafa Moataz Aboshady, MD, was found guilty of falsifying patient medical information to obtain illegal payments from Medicare and commercial insurers, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
Kaiser Permanente Colorado will lay off 200 employees
Kaiser Permanente Colorado, the state's largest insurer, is laying off about 200 employees after unveiling financial struggles, The Denver Post reported. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
CMS posts payments for ASCs vs. HOPDs — Medicare pays ASCs $359 less for colonoscopy, $1,092 less for knee arthroscopy
CMS has paved the way for price transparency between ASCs and hospital outpatient departments with a new tool that reveals the average payments for select procedures in both settings. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...
5 predictions for ophthalmology PE in 2019 — AmSurg, USPI & more
PhysiciansFirst Healthcare Partners predicts healthcare will see a significant amount of transactions involving private equity in 2019. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE...