Here are seven things for ambulatory surgery center industry leaders to know for Feb. 12, 2015.
New ICD-10 study reiterates costs not as prohibitive as expected.
A new study from the Professional Association of Health Care Office Management has found that the cost and time burden of ICD-10 may be less than previously estimated. The study included input from 276 small physician practices. Overall, the study found the average cost per provider was approximately $3,430.
Baptist Health plans Florida surgery center.
Baptist Health, based in Miami Beach, Fla., has proposed a five-story surgery, urgent care and diagnostic center. Due to lobbying efforts led by Mount Sinai Medical Center, also located in Miami Beach, Baptist Health will have to conduct a community impact study prior to receiving approval for the project.
Greater Gaston Endoscopy Center opens in North Carolina.
Physicians Endoscopy and four gastroenterologist partners have officially opened the Greater Gaston Endoscopy Center in Gastonia, N.C. GGEC received certificate of need approval in 2011. The center hosted its first cases on Feb. 10. Prior to the center's opening, Gaston County was the largest county in the state without a freestanding endoscopy center.
GAO report finds CMS ready for ICD-10.
The Government Accountability Office has reported a positive outlook for the switch to the new code set. The GAO report was requested by Senators Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). The report includes input from 28 stakeholders. The Senators expressed their confidence that CMS is prepared to implement the new code set, according to the report.
Payer outlook positive post-PPACA roll out.
U.S. healthcare insurers have successfully managed challenges from the rollout of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to a new report from Moody's Investors Service. Outlook for insurers changed from negative to stable, which "reflects the insurers' ability to adapt to healthcare reform," said Stephen Zaharuk, a Moody's senior vice president.
One-third of Americans delay medical treatment due to cost.
According to a recent Gallup Poll, one in three Americans say they have put off getting medical treatment that they or their family members need because of cost, despite a drop in the uninsured rate. Fifty-seven percent of the uninsured population has put off treatment as compared to 34 percent with private insurance and 22 percent with Medicare or Medicaid. Thirty-four percent of Americans with private health insurance reported putting off medical treatment because of cost, versus 25 percent in 2013.
121 measles cases in 17 states.
The U.S. measles outbreak continues to spread, as 121 people from 17 states and Washington, D.C., have confirmed measles cases from Jan. 1 to Feb. 6, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The vast majority of the cases (85 percent) are tied to the measles outbreak that started at Disneyland in California. Read the full report on Becker's Hospital Review.