September/October 2025 • Vol. 2025 No. 7
What's on the horizon for
ASCs? A conversation with
ASCA's CEO
On July 15, CMS released the 2026
proposed payment rule for ASCs,
including updates to patent policies
and the proposed addition of more than
200 procedures to the ASC Covered
Procedures List in 2026. Bill Prentice,
CEO of the Ambulatory Surgical Center
Association, discusses the policy proposal
and where ASCA is concentrating its
advocacy efforts for the remainder of
2025.
Stark law, consolidation
and the rise of the
'defensive' physician
Between regulatory oversight,
payer demands and hospital-driven
consolidation, physician autonomy in
clinical decision-making has steadily
eroded.
continued on page 18 continued on page 10
continued on page 12
The domino effect hitting
ASCs
Workforce shortages have become one of the biggest
challenges facing the healthcare industry, and many ASCs have
felt the effects.
25+
STORIES INSIDE
The ASC boom is just beginning p. 19
16TH ANNUAL MEETING
April 13 - 16, 2026
Hyatt Regency // Chicago, IL
SAVE THE DATE
IN THIS ISSUE:
5 concerning trends
ASC leaders are
flagging
p. 8
Where independent
practice stands
across 5 specialties
p. 6
The 20 highest-
paying physician
specialties in 2025
p. 11
The newest driver
of the GI boom: 5
things to know
p. 31
Walgreens goes
private, splits into 5
companies in $10B
deal
p. 36
Can Trump finally
'kill the clipboard' in
healthcare?
p. 42
