The Ambulatory Surgical Center Association has submitted its comments in response to CMS’ proposed payment rules for 2026.
Here are five points outlined by the ASCA in its comments, according to a Sept. 15 news release shared with Becker’s:
1. ASCA expressed support for CMS’ proposal to expand the ASC covered procedures list, and also agreed that ASC clinicians are best suited to determine the best site of service for their patients.
2. The organization’s comments also reflect continued advocacy towards further alignment of inflationary update factors between ASCs and HOPDs and the elimination of the budgetary adjustment that continues to “severely depress rates for important Medicare procedures like cataract removals,” according to the release.
3. ASCA emphasized its support for the removal of four measures from the ASC Quality Reporting Program that held “little applicability” for measuring an ASCs operational quality.
4. ASCA has also submitted comments to CMS regarding its proposed updates to the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, stating its opposition to a proposed cut to facility indirect practice expense reimbursement and a 2.5% cut aimed at capturing clinician efficiency, among other policies.
5. “CMS understands the importance of surgery centers, both in terms of providing essential services to beneficiaries as well as generating significant program savings,” said ASCA CEO Bill Prentice. “While additional changes are needed to leverage the savings that surgery centers generate within the Medicare ecosystem, this proposed rule represents a positive step forward. We look forward to a productive relationship with Dr. Oz and leaders at CMS to ensure that surgery centers continue to provide high-quality, low-cost services to Medicare beneficiaries across the nation.”
