Becker's Spine Review

41 OUTPATIENT SURGERY Independent physicians fear practices won't make it through COVID-19 — 10 key stats By Angie Stewart U .S. physicians are concerned about finances during the COVID-19 crisis, along with care quality and telehealth, according to a three-part survey conducted by global management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. McKinsey & Co. distributed online surveys to physicians in 10-plus specialties, with 508 small, independent practice physician respondents to its May survey, 145 to its July 28 survey and 272 to its Sept. 27 survey. When asked how strongly they agreed or dis- agreed with the statement, "I am concerned about my practice making it through the COVID-19 challenge," here's how physician respondents in small, independent practice responded: Note: Percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding. May 5 Agree: 53 percent Neutral: 26 percent Disagree: 19 percent Don't know/not applicable: 1 percent July 28 Agree: 61 percent Neutral: 16 percent Disagree: 23 percent Sept. 27 Agree: 52 percent Neutral: 23 percent Disagree: 23 percent n Limits eased on physician-owned hospital expansions for 2021: 5 details By Laura Dyrda C MS made it easier for physician-owned hospitals to expand in the 2021 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Facility final rule, released Dec. 2. Five details: 1. The Affordable Care Act prohibits hospitals from adding operating rooms, procedure rooms and beds unless CMS grants an exception. In the final rule, CMS removed some of the provisions in the expansion ex- ception process that allow hospitals to qualify as high Medicaid facilities. 2. CMS eliminated the cap on the number of operating rooms, procedure rooms and beds that can be approved in the exception. 3. The final rule also removes the restriction on where physician-owned hos- pitals can expand. Previously, the hospitals were only able to expand facilities on their main campus, but now they are able to expand other facilities as well. 4. Physician-owned hospitals deemed high Medicaid facilities can now also apply for exceptions more than once every two years as long as they only submit one expansion request at a time. 5. CMS also clarified that physician-owned hospitals should include all licensed beds when determining the hospital's baseline bed count. "This will provide additional flexibility to physician-owned hospitals that qual- ify as high Medicaid facilities, which, by definition, serve more Medicaid inpatients than other hospitals in the counties in which they are located," the agency stated in a news release about the final rule. n CMS increases reimbursement for minimally invasive lumbar spine procedure at ASCs By Carly Behm S urgeons performing Vertos Medical's minimally invasive lumbar spinal stenosis procedure now receive increased reimbursement under new CMS rules, according to a Dec. 8 news release. Starting Jan. 1, the national average ASC reimbursement for the proce- dure jumped 41 percent in recognition of the cost of the device associat- ed with the procedure, according to Vertos. The surgery, known as the "Mild" procedure, is Vertos Medical's outpa- tient lumbar spinal stenosis treatment. It removes a major cause of steno- sis through a portal the size of a baby aspirin and requires no implants, general anesthesia or stitches. "The Mild procedure is ideally suited for an ASC setting, and we are pleased that CMS has improved the reimbursement for these facilities. We believe this will significantly increase patient access to the Mild pro- cedure across the country," Philip Macdonald, vice president, market ac- cess and reimbursement for Vertos Medical said in the release. n

• Cover