ASC Association president responds to President's 2009 proposed budget
President George W. Bush's proposed Medicare payment cuts to Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) are "totally unacceptable," said ASC Association president Kathy Bryant in a Feb. 5 statement after reviewing the President's 2009 proposed budget submitted to Congress Feb. 4.
The 2009 budget proposal extends the freeze on ASC annual updates through 2011 and then reduces the update in future years by 0.65 percentage points-an anticipated savings of $450 million for the federal government over five years.
Though similar payment cuts are proposed to other health care providers, Bryant says the impact on ASCs would be even greater. "ASC payments have been frozen for six years while other provider payments have increased," she said in the statement. "During this period, nursing and medical supply costs have been escalating steadily. It is unthinkable that ASCs would be subjected to even more Medicare cuts at this time."
The ASC Association is a membership and advocacy organization that, among other services, combats legislative, regulatory and other challenges at the federal and state level. Bryant said ASC representation is critical as Congress reviews Bush's proposed budget for 2009.
New York investigation could expose effect on ASCs
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's investigation and potential lawsuit against insurance providers could demonstrate the reimbursement inequalities between Ambulatory Surgery Centers and other medical providers, said Beverly Kirchner, an AORN board member. If the "reasonable and customary" rates estimated by research companies such as Ingenix are indeed low, it could influence who consumers are choosing for health care. In some cases, that might steer patients away from ASCs.
"It's coming to the point where we're going to have to turn patients away because they're not paying us enough to even cover the cost," Kirchner said. She added that some hospitals and surgery centers might have more leverage than ASCs when it comes to negotiating with insurance providers.
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