A new report from the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association shows performing surgery on Medicare patients in ASCs instead of hospital outpatient departments saved $4.2 billion in 2018, and the savings are expected to climb significantly in the next decade.

Ensuring correct patient demographic and insurance coverage information during emergency outpatient encounters is essential to the health of a hospital’s reimbursement and bottom-line finances. 

Humana and Atlantic City, N.J.-based AtlantiCare reached an agreement to provide in-network care for Medicare Advantage members.

The COVID-19 pandemic was the leading reason for physicians' income limitations in 2020, followed by "personal choice" and "patient volume/load," according to The Medicus Firm's "2020 Practice Preference & Relocation Survey."

In mid-March, hospitals across the country halted elective surgeries due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. While many ASCs did experience initial shock—volume across the nation dropped 80% between February and April—most ASCs have now rebounded to pre-pandemic activity.

In August, the Texas Academy of Family Physicians released a five-point plan to improve primary care access and transition away from fee for service to a prospective payment system.

San Francisco-based Dignity Health and Cigna reached a multiyear agreement after a nine-month renegotiation process, the San Francisco Business Times reports.

As the U.S. healthcare system faces relentless financial strain, healthcare revenue cycle leaders are seeking strategies to increase patient volume and mitigate revenue loss during COVID-19.

Consumers save as much as $5 billion a year in out-of-pocket costs by having procedures performed in ASCs instead of hospital outpatient departments, according to Anthem.

The former leader of multiple New York medical clinics was sentenced to prison and ordered to pay millions for his involvement in a money laundering and healthcare kickback scheme, according to a report from the Department of Justice.

The American Medical Association released the 2021 Current Procedural Terminology code set Sept. 1. 

Colonoscopies and upper gastrointestinal procedures cost an average of 1.7 times more in a hospital outpatient department than they cost in an ASC, according to a July report from Anthem's Public Policy Institute.

State health plan administrators BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee and Cigna allegedly overpaid providers at least $17.58 million, according to a claims data analysis by private firm ClaimInformatics, the Times Free Press reports.

Rush SurgiCenter Chicago saw its financial performance increase after using the SNBilling revenue cycle management service, according to a study released by Surgical Notes.

During the pandemic, several settlements have been reached in lawsuits involving devicemakers, drug companies and physician groups.

Four recent lawsuits involving surgical groups and insurance companies:

John Kelly, senior vice president of strategic planning at advertising agency 9Rooftops Health, shared three thoughts on the future of the ASC market:

Seemingly minor billing mistakes can result in major revenue losses for physician practices, according to the Pensacola Voice.

Some of the most expensive procedures performed in ASCs last year represented over $40 million in total charges, according to Definitive Healthcare.

A new lawsuit accuses Cigna of violating the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act by improperly denying nearly $400,000 in COVID-19-related claims, according to Law360 and Radiology Business.