Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1494056
26 ASC 10 states with more ASCs than hospitals By Claire Wallace As the popularity of outpatient surgery continues to grow, 10 states, including California, Florida and Nebraska, now have more ASCs than hospitals, according to data from the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association and Definitive Healthcare. Ten states with more ASCs than hospitals, listed alphabetically: 1. Arizona ASCs: 211 Hospitals: 167 2. California ASCs: 845 Hospitals: 553 3. Delaware ASCs: 21 Hospitals: 19 4. Florida ASCs: 463 Hospitals: 372 5. Georgia ASCs: 386 Hospitals: 212 6. Maryland ASCs: 342 Hospitals: 83 7. Nebraska ASCs: 49 Hospitals: 35 8. New Jersey ASCs: 260 Hospitals: 141 9. Oregon ASCs: 91 Hospitals: 74 10. Washington ASCs: 184 Hospitals: 130 n Former NFL player sues medical malpractice insurers following surgery at ASC By Patsy Newitt F ormer NFL player Sharrif Floyd has sued a slew of medical malpractice insurers and brokers for an alleged $10 million insurance shortfall following a career-ending knee surgery, Business Insurance reported Jan. 20. In 2016, the defensive lineman, who was playing for the Minnesota Vikings, underwent a right knee arthroscopy at the Gulf Breeze, Fla.-based Andrews Institute Ambulatory Surgery Center. Mr. Floyd alleges the surgery ended his career and filed a medical suit against the ASC, orthopedic surgeon James Andrews, MD, and others in state court in 2018 for $180 million, according to ESPN. The suit said that during the procedure, those administering pain blockers paralyzed a nerve and the surrounding muscle, making him unable to recover enough to play football. He is now suing four malpractice insurers and brokers for breach of contract, alleging that only $17 million was paid out of $27 million in coverage available, according to the report. n BCBS leans into site-neutral payments By Laura Dyrda T he Blue Cross Blue Shield Association released a policy statement backing site-neutral payments as a key focus for saving billions of dollars in the next decade. "Rising costs for consumers are a significant consequence of the rising price of healthcare delivery. As hospitals continue to acquire physician practices, the result is often using reimbursement to maximize revenue and drive higher prices," according to a BCBSA press release. The report notes a 12 percent increase in physician practices owned by hospitals, health systems, private equity and other corporate firms over the last two years. When hospitals acquire physician practices, charges jump on average about 14 percent, according to the report. ASCs are also typically reimbursed at a lower rate than hospital outpatient departments for the same services. BCBSA asked lawmakers to expand Medicare site- neutral payment efforts to lower the rates for hospital- owned practices. The payer also asked the Federal Trade Commission to keep a close eye on physician practice acquisitions and block potentially anticompetitive mergers or transactions. BCBSA's plan supports "reasonable" reimbursement by site of care and halting anti-competitive behavior. The policy also recommends speeding genetic and biosimilar alternatives to market for more access to low-cost prescription drugs and transitioning from fee-for-service to value-based care models. The payer estimates its recommendations would save $767 billion in the next decade, including $337 billion in federal savings. n