The New Jersey Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers sent a delegation to Capitol Hill to meet with legislators and discuss support for two bills that provide improved access to care in ambulatory surgery centers.
The delegation met with seven Congressmen during their visit in addition to members of New Jersey's U.S. senators' staff. The delegation discussed the "Removing barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2015" (H.R. 1220) and the "Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality and Access Act of 2015" (H.R. 1453)
H.R. 1220 aims to correct current law that requires Medicare beneficiaries to cover the cost of their copayment for no-fee colonoscopy screening if a polyp is discovered and removed during the procedure; H.R. 1453 addresses the Medicare inflationary update factor disparity between ASCs and other surgical care providers.
"If passed, both bills would be a win-win for both ASCs and their patients that are seeking the highest quality, cost-effective care," said Andrew Weiss, CASC, NJAASC president.
The delegation included ASC administrators and NJAASC board members:
• Scott Bergman, administrator at Millennium Surgical Center and NJAASC board member
• Sharon Gelardi, CEO at The Gastro Surgi Center of New Jersey and NJAASC board member and secretary
• Praveen Gollapudi, MD, medical director at Millennium Surgery Center
• Michael Graziano, administrator at Clifton Surgery Center and NJAASC Board member and treasurer
• Craig Lahey, senior vice president of sales at AmkaiSolutions
• Sarah Malaniak, administrator at Ambulatory Center for Endoscopy
• Lucia Musterer, director of nursing at The Endo Center at Voorhees
• Larry Trenk, market president at United Surgical Partners International, NJAASC board member and past president
• Andrew Weiss, administrator at The Endo Center at Voorhees and NJAASC board member and president
"A key mission for NJAASC is to advocate at both the state and federal levels on behalf of our members who not only benefit from access to our legislative intel, but also whose best interests can also shape public policy in both Trenton and Washington, D.C.," said Mr. Weiss.