Becker's ASC Review

10 21st Annual Ambulatory Surgery Center Conference - call (800) 417-2035 analytics team crunching the numbers to see how much of a savings they'll have per case at the ASC." Contractors aren't always upfront about their breadth and depth of knowl- edge on any particular procedure, and erring on the side of too much infor- mation may actually speed up the negotiation. The center's physician leaders can also connect with the payer's medical director for peer-to-peer discus- sions on the clinical value of ASCs. "For the most part, if you are a multispecialty center and the contractor is already taking you into consideration for certain specialty areas, it's easy to amend an existing contract with carve-outs where appropriate as opposed to going from a single-specialty ASC to bringing in a new specialty," says Mr. Connolly. "The reimbursement could be dramatically different. The whole rate structure for the center might not fit." Now to 2020 Most of these procedures will still be valuable in five years, says Ms. McMa- han, potentially even more valuable as the healthcare industry continues to focus on cost-savings. However, it's best to add these procedures soon before they become common at ASCs and payers push for lower rates. "I see value for these procedures, especially five years out, with spine and total joints because the aging population will just continue to grow," says Mr. Con- nolly. "But it will be vital for ASCs to bring those specialties now rather than later, especially with narrow networks. Payers are becoming more informed about performing these procedures and have more data to slice and dice the rates. They'll see more value in ASCs providing a broader level of services, and the sooner you get in, the better your reimbursement." In addition to those procedures already valuable for ASCs, there could be other technology developments that would bring additional specialties and procedures currently done in hospitals to the ASC. One of the key areas to watch for in the future is cardiovascular surgery. There are a few minor car- diovascular surgeries being performed in ASCs today, including angiogra- phies on the extremities and stent placements. "We have one center with several general surgeons doing cardiovascular work," says Ms. McMahan. "Even though most cardiologists are employed by hospitals today, our general surgeons are independent and can do cases at our center. You can also enter into a joint venture with the hospital and potentially they'll work with you to allow their cardiologists to perform cases at the center." n 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

• Cover