September/October 2023 Issue of Becker's ASC Review
ON THE COVER
Optum digs deeper into value-based care
UnitedHealth Group's Optum, parent company of ASC chain SCA Health, has become a household name in value-based care as it continues to snap up healthcare companies that align with its goal of expanding in the space.
ASCs get 2.8% pay bump in CMS' 2024 proposal: 5 details
CMS pitched a 2.8 percent average rate increase for ASCs next year in the 2024 hospital outpatient prospective payment system, released July 13.
States with the most, fewest ASCs per Medicare beneficiary
States vary widely in the number of ASCs per 10,000 Medicare part B beneficiaries, according to the MedPAC report to Congress released earlier this year.
Private equity targets orthopedic ASCs: 5 details
Orthopedics has a unique position within the healthcare ecosystem as a highly fragmented industry ripe with potential for standardization and value-based care. There is a strong demand for affiliation with orthopedic groups, according to a new report from VMG Health, and more transactions could be on the horizon.
5 gastroenterology supergroups to know
Here are five gastroenterology supergroups to know:
States take on 'doctor' title debate
Several states are taking on the debate of whether to prevent nonphysicians from using the doctor title, but nurse practitioners with doctorates are pushing back, The Washington Post reported Aug. 20.
Why the ASC industry is poised for growth
Joe Peluso, administrator at Aestique Surgical Center in Greensburg, Pa., joined Becker's to discuss what he thinks the ASC industry looks like and will look like as healthcare costs continue to rise.
The disruptors posing the biggest threats to ASCs
Seven ASC leaders joined Becker's to discuss the disruptors with the most potential to shake up the ASC industry.
Why healthcare need to 'rethink the concept of noncompetes'
As more physicians moved to employed models, many leaders feel noncompetes are no longer compatible with the physician workforce.
ASC Management
Physicians could be in financial danger with this Stark law change
Physician groups who provide certain medical equipment, devices and supplies to their Medicare patients could be in violation of Stark law following the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, attorneys from law firm Epstein Becker & Green wrote in an Aug. 14 JDSupra article.
American Physician Partners closing: What ASCs need to know
Medical staffing company American Physician Partners is closing and will transition to its hospital contracts.
Optum undergoes layoffs: What ASCs should know
UnitedHealth Group's Optum and its subsidiaries have recently laid off employees and cut services at one of its subsidiary's clinics.
ASCs get 2.8% pay bump in CMS' 2024 proposal: 5 details
CMS pitched a 2.8 percent average rate increase for ASCs next year in the 2024 hospital outpatient prospective payment system, released July 13.
States with the most, fewest ASCs per Medicare beneficiary
States vary widely in the number of ASCs per 10,000 Medicare part B beneficiaries, according to the MedPAC report to Congress released earlier this year.
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
The disruptors posing the biggest threats to ASCs
Seven ASC leaders joined Becker's to discuss the disruptors with the most potential to shake up the ASC industry.
'Our healthcare system is a travesty': Physicians fed up with CMS' proposed pay cuts
CMS suggested a 3.34 percent conversion factor decrease in its proposed Medicare physician fee schedule for 2024, which was released July 13.
Why the future of surgery lies within ASCs — not hospitals
The ASCs of the future could potentially be the premier site of surgery for most patients.
'ASCs are not new': What people get wrong about surgery centers
Les Jebson, regional administrator at Greenville, S.C.-based Prisma Health, joined Becker's to discuss the misconceptions of ASCs and how declining physician pay could affect the industry.
ORTHOPEDICS
How the payer market is evolving in 4 spine surgeons' markets
The relationship between spine surgeons and major payers has been complicated over the years. Four spine surgeons shared their perspective on the payer market where they live.
The 10 highest-reimbursing orthopedic procedures performed at ASCs
As orthopedic procedures migrate to ASCs at higher rates every year, revenue cycle management platform Nimble Solutions has identified the 10 orthopedic procedures with the highest reimbursement rates.
Zimmer Biomet promotes Ivan Tornos to CEO
Ivan Tornos was promoted and is Zimmer Biomet's new CEO, the medtech company said Aug. 22.
Orthopedic surgeon starting salary increases 12% in 2023
The average starting salary for orthopedic surgeons increased 12 percent in 2022 and 2023, according to AMN Healthcare's "2023 Review of Physician and Advanced Practitioner Recruiting Incentives" report released July 24.
Are unnecessary spinal surgeries on the rise? Here's why the answer might be complicated
CMS is currently projecting an over 100 percent increase in the number of hip and knee replacements performed by 2040.
GASTROENTROLOGY
What trends and changes this gastroenterologist predicts in the field
Becker's recently connected with Andrew Boxer, MD, a physician with Woodland Park-based Gastroenterology Associates of New Jersey, to hear his predictions on changes and trends in gastroenterology.
'The answer is no': Why this GI CEO doesn't put physicians in hospitals
U.S. Digestive Health CEO Jerry Tillinger joined Becker's to discuss the obstacles of gastroenterology procedure migration to the outpatient setting.
Cost of an upper GI endoscopy by state: ASC vs. HOPD
ASCs are typically the less expensive site of care to receive an upper GI endoscopy compared to hospital outpatient departments, according to data from Sidecar Health's care calculator.
One GI taps new CEO
Gastroenterology-focused management service organization One GI has appointed Christa Newton CEO.
Recommended colonoscopies at 40? What will disrupt the GI industry next
U.S. Digestive Health CEO Jerry Tillinger recently joined Becker's to discuss what he thinks will disrupt the gastroenterology industry next.
TRANSACTIONS
Why the ASC industry is poised for growth
Joe Peluso, administrator at Aestique Surgical Center in Greensburg, Pa., joined Becker's to discuss what he thinks the ASC industry looks like and will look like as healthcare costs continue to rise.
Surgery Partners net income hits $18.9M, 15 new facilities in the works
Surgery Partners reported increased net income for the second quarter of 2023 and raised its full year adjusted EBITDA guidance.
Meet the forces battling for ASC market share
While the ASC industry is largely fragmented, five major groups control a solid chunk of the market share, according to the VMG Health's "2023 Healthcare M&A Report."
The decline of private practice physicians: 5 stats
Here are five numbers to know about trends regarding private practice:
How USPI is carrying Tenet's growth
Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare's ASC chain, United Surgical Partners International, is driving the company's growth with a 22.2 percent revenue increase in the second quarter year over year.
HEALTHCARE NEWS
For Mark Cuban, minimalism is the best healthcare disruptor
Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban has made his ambition to improve healthcare known since the launch of his generic pharmacy in January 2021. His preferred methods to do so may not resemble those of other healthcare executives.
States take on 'doctor' title debate
Several states are taking on the debate of whether to prevent nonphysicians from using the doctor title, but nurse practitioners with doctorates are pushing back, The Washington Post reported Aug. 20.
The state that's rebounding from the nurse shortage
Florida hospitals have seen a rebound in nurses returning to the field, with a 9 percent fall in vacancy rate in the last year, the Tampa Bay Times reported Aug. 15.
More physicians adding MBA to leadership formula
Keith Gray, MD, has practiced surgical oncology at University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville for 15 years, during which time he has held roles including executive vice president and chief medical officer, chief of the division of surgical oncology, chief of staff and medical director of multiple service lines. Most recently, on July 1 he became president of UTMC, and will become president and CEO, effective April 1.
How to tear the 'paper ceiling'
You've probably heard of the "glass ceiling": the social barrier that prevents women's advancement to top leadership roles. Now, a similar term has been coined for those without a bachelor's degree: the "paper ceiling."