Becker's has reported on five multimillion-dollar Stark law penalties in 2024:

Many ASCs have voiced support for site neutrality, which would create parity between ASC and hospital reimbursements, yet has been met with pushback from hospitals. 

Becker's has reported on five ASC controversies in the last month.

On Nov. 22, Salem (Ore.) Health filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit that alleged its efforts to expand heart care in the area is an unlawful attempt to build a monopoly, Salem Reporter reported Nov. 25. 

Vertical integration across independent cardiologists has led to higher costs in Medicare over the last 15 years with "minimal evidence" of any increase in quality of care, according to findings presented during 2024 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Chicago.

Georgetown, Del.-based Sussex Pain Relief Center is looking to open a pain management-focused ASC in Lewes, Del.,the Delaware Business Times reported Nov. 25. 

Connecticut state senator Jeff Gordon, MD, addressed concerns over Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield's new policy on anesthesia claims in a Nov. 20 letter to the insurer, according to a news release from Dr. Gordon's office. 

Medtronic has inked a three-year contract with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs for GI Genius, leading to nearly 100 additional units being installed across VA medical centers. 

Forty-one senators have inked a letter to Congress to prevent the 2.83% Medicare physician pay cut that will take effect Jan. 1. 

The Colorado Medical Board has ordered two clinics in Colorado Springs to shutter due to allegedly practicing medicine without a license, Fox 21 News reported Nov. 21.

Family medicine physician Kristen Clark, MD, is closing her practice, Ellicott City, Md.-based Well Being Medical Care, part of Privia Health, Dec. 4. 

From 2019 to 2023, Missouri saw the largest decline in anesthesiologist employment, seeing a 75% decrease in anesthesiology positions, according to an October study from Rivanna.

Cancer patients in rural Tennessee are testing virtual visits from hologram health consultants, Fox 26 News reported Nov. 23. 

The co-founder of a Christian "healthcare sharing ministry" in St. Joseph, Mo., has been sentenced for his role in an $8 million wire fraud conspiracy that defrauded hundreds of members of the charity. 

Becker's reported on three gastroenterologists or GI surgeons who faced lawsuits in one week. 

A cardiologist has filed a lawsuit against his former employer, claiming he was fired after bringing up concerns about another physician, according to a Nov. 22 report by FOX 17.

The American Gastroenterological Association has updated guidance for the treatment of ulcerative colitis to recommend using higher efficacy drugs in earlier stages of treatment, Medscape Medical News reported Nov. 25. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is considering an overhaul of Medicare's physician payment model. 

A federal district court in Mississippi has denied a motion to dismiss a lawsuit against Corinth, Miss.-based Magnolia Regional Health Center and its joint venture cancer center, Magnolia Cancer Center, alleging Stark law and antikickback violations, JDSupra reported Nov. 22. 

In 2023, malpractice verdicts hit a record high, with 57 medical malpractice verdicts of $10 million or more, and more than half of those verdicts exceeding $25 million.