Becker's ASC Review

60 21st Annual Ambulatory Surgery Center Conference - call (800) 417-2035 T he Oklahoma City-based Surgery Cen- ter of Oklahoma's Keith Smith, MD, is well-known for his progressive attitude toward price transparency and alternative pay- ment initiatives. His center is an industry pioneer in medical price transparency, making its prices available online for all to see. In early 2014, the center entered a deal with the Oklahoma County Budget Board to promote val- ue in medical care by providing low-cost surgery to public servants. If individuals chose to receive their surgery at the center, the state would waive the copays usually required by their government insurance. More recently, the ASC has been in the news for another reason: It's accepting Bitcoin. In the last two years, the cryptocurrency has been splashed across front pages of finance sections and news websites everywhere, first for its jump in value from $13 to more than $1,000 in 2013, and most recently for the ultimately incorrect outing of the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, "Satoshi Naka- moto," in Newsweek's first print issue since 2012. Dr. Smith's contribution to Bitcoin in the news cycle is no less radical. "I have made it known that if I'm offered Bitcoin, I'll take it. I have yet to have it offered to me as payment, but I would take it," says Dr. Smith, who does not yet have a Bitcoin account. He says that the moment a patient of- fers to pay for a surgery in Bitcoins, he'll be on the computer setting up the process. Creating an account is an apparently quick process, requiring only 15 minutes and an internet connection. After being transferred between accounts, Bitcoins can be instantly converted to any desired currency, which protects against the wild fluctuations in value for which the cryptocurrency is infamous. News of Dr. Smith's acceptance of Bitcoin ap- peared after he did an interview with a pro-cryp- tocurrency group who asked him for his thoughts on the matter. For Dr. Smith, however, it's not spe- cifically about Bitcoin. "All I've tried to make clear is that as a provider, it's incumbent on me to be convenient to the buyer in terms of exchange and incumbent upon me to encourage buyers to use my service. As a provider, I have more responsibil- ity in any exchange, because as a buyer, a patient can take his business elsewhere," he says. He adds the mindset of the typical patient attract- ed to the Surgery Center of Oklahoma's pricing policies tends to be niche. "We've attracted a Ron Paul, libertarian crowd to the way we do business here. Many of those people are very currency con- scious," he says. All other things being equal, the ASC's unusual pricing policies have created a great deal of buzz for business. The center is considering an expan- sion, due to the fact that it is serving patients from all over the country, who are finding the center en masse through its website. Dr. Smith himself continues to lead in making payment information accessible to patients. He is about to launch a new national association, the Free Market Medical Association, a group that will assist ASCs in displaying their prices to attract patients who, in Dr. Smith's words, are motivated to find quality, value-based surgical care. "It's probably the biggest blockbuster thing I've been involved with in the last five years. It's an exciting development, and I think it will help the entire ASC industry," says Dr. Smith. n T he Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services no longer requires ambulatory surgery centers to have a radiologist on their medical staff, according to an ASCA news release. CMS removed the Conditions for Coverage provision in a new rule that was released in the pre-published final form titled "Medicare and Medicaid Pro- grams: Regulatory Provisions to Promote Program Efficiency, Transparency and Burden Reduction." ASCA has long advocated for this change. According to the report, the new language states: "If radiologic services are utilized, the governing body must appoint an individual qualified in accor- dance with State law and ASC policies who is responsible for assuring that all radiologic services are provided in accordance with the requirements of this section." "We are pleased that CMS has responded to our request for a common sense policy pertaining to radiologic services in ASCs," said ASCA CEO William Prentice in the release. "We look forward to continuing an open dialogue with CMS to identify and remove other burdensome requirements that hin- der our ability to serve patients in the most effective manner possible." n Unique Methods of Payment: Opportunities for ASCs? By Ellie Rizzo CMS No Longer Requires ASCs to Have Radiologists By Laura Miller Dr. Keith Smith 21st Annual Ambulatory Surgery Centers Conference Improving Profitability and Business and Legal Issues October 23-25, 2014 • Chicago Keynotes: Terry Bradshaw, Co-Host and Analyst, FOX NFL Sunday and NFL Legend; Bill Taylor, Founding Editor, Fast Company and Best-Selling Author; Lolo Jones, 2-Time Olympic Hurdler and World Champion, 2014 Olympic Bobsledder For more information, call (800) 417-2035 30 Great Surgeons, 36 Leading Administrators and 80 Surgery Center Speakers in Total

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