September/October 2026 • Vol. 2026 No. 7
The $4K-a-day anesthesia
problem
As anesthesia stipends soar to as much as
$4,000 a day, ASC leaders are questioning
how long the subsidy race can last and
what happens when centers can no longer
afford to compete.
Who's actually winning the
fight for ASC ownership?
As ASC consolidation accelerates, the
fight over ownership is sharpening
between large platforms chasing scale
and physicians betting independence will
deliver the stronger long-term advantage.
continued on page 12 continued on page 34
continued on page 6
The hidden math separating
profitable ASCs from busy
ones
ASC profitability may hinge less on filling ORs and more on
treating each service line, payer and case as its own business.
25+
STORIES INSIDE
Why did ASCs finally agree to public Leapfrog ratings? p. 10
32nd ANNUAL
BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS
OF ASCS
October 29 - 31, 2026
Swissotel Chicago
SAVE THE DATE
IN THIS ISSUE:
The ASC fraud case
that just redrew
the line on MSO
kickback risk
p. 7
The next crisis
coming for ASCs
p. 8
The colonoscopy
reimbursement math
is not adding up
p. 27
Are GLP-1s quietly
rewriting ASC case
mix?
p. 28
The loopholes
PE built to buy
physicians are
starting to crack
p. 36
AAOS president
warns of orthopedic
practice closures
under Medicare
proposal
p. 38
