Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/606753
41 Key Specialties SPINE is Making its MOVE to ASCs ARE YOU? Develop a Spine ASC Succeed with a proven strategic partner Control your surgical environment Meet patients' expectations for minimally invasive spine surgery Spine ASC Partnerships Acquisition Development Management Make your move with us! 615-301-8142 www.meridiansurgicalpartners.com CMS's Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement program 16. CMS's proposed a program in July 2105 that would bundle the payment for joint replace- ment surgeries. The Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement program makes hospitals responsible for the financial care of patients 90 days after discharge. If approved, this program would affect most hospitals. Hospitals may share CCJR savings or penalties with physicians by agreement. According to Tony Mira's blog post on Anesthesia Business Consultants, anesthesiologists should secure their spots in this new initiative, as this is only the first of many proposals to "link provider profits with costs and quality metrics." Anesthe- siologists are central players in joint replacement cases and the most successful in bundled pay- ments will focus on providing exceptional post- operative care for patients. The economics of anesthesia — Measuring objective metrics 17. To remain competitive, anesthesiologists will adopt tools and technology that increase produc- tivity and quality. According to Jody Locke's blog post, "Why Utilization and Productivity Metrics Matter," on Anesthesia Business Consultants, smart anesthesia practices are using data to as- sess individual provider productivity and staff- ing models. Instead of sitting back and letting surgeons and hospitals run the show, anesthesia practices can offer insight on how to increase op- erating room efficiency by analyzing their own billing data. By establishing a strong line of communication with hospitals, anesthesia practices educate stake- holders about what makes a profitable practice. is communication will benefit both parties, as anesthesia practices will be more likely to see problems from an administration's viewpoint. Reimbursing anesthesia practices — SGR "fix" 18. Republican Congressman and anesthesiolo- gist, Andy Harris, MD, started the conversation that led to the SGR "fix," the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, or H.R.2. is legislation was signed into law on April 16, 2015. Anesthesiologists receive about 31 percent of commercial payment when billing Medicare, according to Tony Mira's "e SGR 'Fix' in the Context of Anesthesia Practice" blog post on An- esthesia Business Consultants. H.R.2 essentially increases the conversion factor determined by the SGR at 0.5 percent every year to 2019. is will increase physician reimburse- ment yearly, and from 2020 to 2025, the conver- sion rate will be 0 percent to level reimburse- ment. H.R.2 will create the Merit-based Incentive Pay- ment System in 2019, which will rate healthcare providers based on "quality," "clinical practice improvement activities" and "meaningful use of electronic health records." ese scores will affect reimbursement rate. "Anesthesiologists will need to reevaluate their current efforts to comply with quality measure- ments, data protection and value performance. ey will need to look at current and potential re- lationships with other providers and ensure such relationships account for the potential decline in reimbursement in the long term," wrote Mr. Mira in his blog post. n Running an ASC is tough. Our experts can help.