Becker's ASC Review

8 ASC MANAGEMENT What ASCs can expect from CMS in the next year By Laura Dyrda T he federal government was relatively friendly to ASCs during the Trump administration, with CMS paying for more types of surgery in ASCs and HHS loosening regulations on how centers could practice during the pandemic. How will things change during the Biden administration? It's still too early to tell, said Bill Prentice, CEO of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, at the Becker's 18th Annual Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC + e Future of Spine Conference on June 8. He talked about where CMS could be headed and the poten- tial for a public option, among other issues being debated on Capitol Hill. "Our expectation is that the payment rule this year will be pretty benign," Mr. Prentice said. "ere won't be any grand policy changes because quite frankly I don't think there's been time to implement any. I think we're going to be looking at probably next July before we re- ally get a sense of whether this administration wants to make any fundamental changes with the way the ASC program operates within Medicare and Medicaid." When it comes to payer trends, Mr. Prentice said there is more movement on the com- mercial side to develop policies driving outpatient surgeries to ASCs versus hospitals and hospital outpatient departments. is trend gives him hope that the federal govern- ment will make similar moves in the future. "e drivers of the ASC model are the ef- ficiency and quality they can bring to the healthcare market," Mr. Prentice said. "I think the secret sauce is physician owner- ship. Physicians having control over the entire physical environment of the surgery center has led to an efficiency that improves our healthcare system, and we would love to see the government at the state and federal level recognize that more and enact policies to spur on more ASC growth." Mr. Prentice also mentioned shoring up the Affordable Care Act as a top priority of the Biden administration. He also spoke about the potential for a public option with a Democrat-controlled Congress. "At the end of the day, I wouldn't hold my breath and expect that we're going to see anything like a public option this year, but I think if the Democrats can maintain control, particularly through the midterm elections, I could see something being enacted before the end of the president's first term," he said. n 10 of the largest ASC chains in the US By Laura Dyrda Many of the largest ASC chains in the U.S. grew last year during the pandemic. Here is where 10 companies stand with the number of ASCs in their network as of June 2021. 1. United Surgical Partners International (Dallas): 312 2. AmSurg (Nashville, Tenn.): 250+ 3. Surgical Care Affiliates (Deerfield, Ill.): 250+ 4. HCA Healthcare (Nashville, Tenn.): 142 5. Surgery Partners (Brentwood, Ill.): 109 6. SurgCenter Development (Towson, Md.): 92 7. PE GI Solutions (Jamison, Pa.): 60+ 8. Covenant Physician Partners (Nashville, Tenn.): 48 9. Regent Surgical Health (Chicago and Nashville, Tenn.): 22 10. Proliance Surgeons (Seattle): 19 Last year, USPI and SCA added more than 1,000 physicians to their ASC networks and have plans to add thousands more this year. The compa- nies also are partnering with health systems to expand their networks. n Tennessee passes certificate-of-need law increasing ASC fees By Patsy Newitt T ennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed into law a revision to the state's certifi- cate-of-need requirements, raising ASC certificate-of-need annual fees from $100 to $2,000. The bill, signed May 26, increases fees for most healthcare providers, which lawmak- ers say will bring in $1.3 million in revenue per year. The legislation raises hospital annual fees from $300 to up to $5,000 and decreases the CON application process by 75 days. Additionally, mental health hospitals and hospital-based outpatient treatment cen- ters for opioid addiction would be exempt and not require a certificate of need to open. n

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