7 things for ASC leaders to know for Monday

Here are seven news updates for ambulatory surgery center leaders to know for Sept. 14, 2014.

Surgery center company settles false claims suit.
National outpatient ambulatory surgery center operator Meridian Surgical Partners settled a qui tam lawsuit brought by a former employee at one of its centers. Trial was set to begin in this case on September 23, 2014. Meridian Surgical Partners did not admit any wrongdoing. "While the allegations in the lawsuit were completely without merit, we chose to settle this action to avoid the financial costs and distractions that would have come with further legal proceedings," said John Wilson, CEO of Meridian. Read the full report on Becker's ASC Review.

Physician present at Joan Rivers' surgery not privileged at center.
An ENT physician present in the operating room during Joan Rivers' surgery at a New York endoscopy center was not privileged to perform procedures at the outpatient center. Read the full report on Becker's ASC Review.  

Lapeer County Surgery Center forms affiliation agreement with local health system.
Hurley Health Services, based in Swartz Creek, Mich., and Lapeer (Mich.) County Surgery Center have formed a new affiliation agreement. The agreement was made in an effort to form an integrated system of care for the community.

American College of Radiology calls for CMS coverage of virtual colonoscopy.
In the wake of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services decision to cover the colorectal cancer test Cologuard, the American College of Radiology sent a letter urging CMS to cover virtual colonoscopy. Currently, major payers such as Cigna, UnitedHealthCare, Unicare and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield cover virtual colonoscopy.

4 Wisconsin endoscopy centers implement new anesthesia information management system.
Four endoscopy centers in the Milwaukee, Wis., area implemented Anesthesia Touch, a new anesthesia information management system for iPad and Windows. Anesthesia Touch, made by Plexus Information Systems, is a cloud-based solution for capturing, storing and managing patient information.

House passes 'keep your plan' bill.
In a 247-167 vote, the House has passed The Employee Health Care Protection Act of 2014, which would let people keep their insurance plans, even if they are not compliant with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Read the full report on Becker's Hospital Review.

Prescription drug spending expected to increase 6.8% in 2014.
Prescription drug spending growth is projected to increase more drastically in 2014 than it has in the last few years, with a 6.8 percent increase in spending. The increase in prescription drug spending in 2014 is primarily due to the increased use of prescription drugs by those who have gained health coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Read the full report on Becker's Hospital Review.

More articles on ASC issues:
100 ASC benchmarks to know – 2014
Where is all the ASC data?
4 recent ASC industry leadership moves

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