Here's an excerpt from a piece in Becker's ASC Review quoting me on the effect ACO development and other health reform environmental changes are likely to have on ambulatory surgery centers, and how ASCs can position themsleves for future success: Here are six steps for surgery centers to participate in new payment models. 1. Figure […]
Category Archives: ASC
2011 MPFS and 2011 HOPPS & ASC fee schedules finalized by CMS
The final Medicare physician fee schedule, Hospital Outpatient PPS and Ambulatory Surgery Center fee schedules for 2011 were released by CMS last week. They will be formally published in the Federal Register later this month. As usual, the fee schedules include a fair number of regulatory amendments that are not, strictly speaking, fee schedules, which […]
Health Reform: What's a Provider to Do?
What should health care providers be doing in anticipation of the likely passage of an historic health reform bill? There are at least three possibilities: (1) Lament the passing of the good old days and oppose it; (2) Insist that it isn't good enough because it is lacking some key provision (tort reform; SGR replacement; […]
The latest health care legislation from the People's Republic of Massachusetts
Once again, Massachusetts is out in front on a number of hot issues. The legislation, championed by Senate President Therese Murray, was signed by Gov. Patrick earlier this week. See the full text of AN ACT TO PROMOTE COST CONTAINMENT, TRANSPARENCY AND EFFICIENCY IN THE DELIVERY OF QUALITY HEALTH CARE and the Boston Globe story […]
Pan Mass Challenge coming up this weekend
This summer has been busy, busy, busy, so my apologies to all of you out there in HealthBlawg land for spotty posting lately. My clients didn’t get the memo about a nice long vacation this month or next, and I’ve been training for the Pan Mass Challenge, a 2-day, 200-mile bicycle fundraiser for Boston’s Dana […]
Final Medicare 2008 OPPS regulations released by CMS for publication in late November
The 2008 hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS or HOPPS) regulations will be published by CMS in the November 27 Federal Register. The 2008 OPPS rule went on display earlier this month, and includes a number of significant changes. The CMS press release identified the following highlights: * Linking payment updates to quality measure […]