For 15 years, cardiovascular procedures have been performed in outpatient settings such as office-based labs (OBLs) and ASCs, starting with peripheral vascular...

As the cataract reimbursement scene keeps changing, surgeons and facility leaders must feel like they’re on a roller coaster they never agreed to ride in the first place....

A management change at Waterbury (Conn.) Surgery Center took place in 2021, and it didn’t take long for the new team to identify daily collections as a problem...

When I founded the Atlas Surgical group of ASCs 15 years ago, we outsourced our billing operations. Our collection rate was about 80%, which was acceptable, but not stellar. I came to realize...

Interventional radiology (IR) is slowly finding its way into ASCs. IR physicians perform a wide variety of “pinhole surgeries” — minimally invasive procedures that leverage catheters, wires, needles and sheaths — using image guidance...

As the current U.S. inflation rate approaches 10%, ambulatory surgery centers are already facing financial pressure from expenses for goods and services and staffing costs. So while CMS has proposed an increase...

Patients never like to be surprised on the day of surgery, especially if that surprise is that they owe money. That is why the staff at Eye 35 ASC in Schertz, Texas, has insurance verifiers call all patients prior to...

Demand for outpatient shoulder replacements is increasing as we continue to see improvements in surgical techniques and multimodal pain management strategies that shorten the length of stay for patients....

The 2022 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and ASC Payment System proposed by CMS is filled with changes that are more curious than cause for serious concern. CMS, which ultimately intends to slow...

if you’re still doing most of your coding, billing and collections in-house and rely on traditional spreadsheets to track metrics that assess your facility’s performance, I feel your pain. That was the situation when I became director...

Demetrio Aguila III, MD, FACS, wants surgeons to provide world-class care that doesn’t saddle patients with crushing financial debt, and ensures buy-in from the patient...

Ambulatory surgery center payment rates as a percentage of the hospital outpatient department rates have steadily declined over the years. In 2003, procedures...

Diagnosing patients in need of a joint replacement is a science and implanting prosthetic joints just so is a technical art, but health care is ultimately a business. Transforming diseased joints...

Get on board with bundled payments. Orthopedics is leading the way in the revamping of reimbursements.

Coding & billing: 3 places to look for hidden revenue. You're likely to find income stashed away in these unexpected places.

Are bundled payments good for surgery? How to capitalize on the popular payment model that sets a flat price for all the care you'll deliver before, during and after surgery.