Helping
- CMS announced a program that will accelerate payments to Medicare Part A providers and advance payments to Part B providers who were impacted by the Change Healthcare cyberattack.
- Under CMS’ Interoperability and Prior Authorization final rule, certain payers have to communicate if and why a prior authorization request is denied. Impacted payers must send prior authorization decisions within 72 hours for expedited requests and seven calendar days for standard requests beginning in 2026.
- CMS finalized a 3.1% payment rate for ASCs.
- CMS added 11 nondental procedures to the ASC-covered list that were not included in the proposed rule.
Hurting
- CMS finalized a 3.37% Medicare physician fee cut for 2024. However, Congress released a $460 billion spending package that would temporarily halve the Medicare pay cut for physicians to approximately 1.7%.
- The estimated Medicare ASC payments for five of the top ASC codes performed in 2023 are projected to fall in 2024.
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.