With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to affect patient and practice finances, Becker's ASC Review asked surgery center leaders about the state of revenue cycle processes.

UnitedHealthcare Group is the country's largest insurance company by both total revenue and lives covered, according to ValuePenguin, a resource for consumers looking to make more informed financial decisions.

Last year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) physician fee schedule (PFS) included a reimbursement increase for emergency department evaluation and management (E/M) codes.

ValuePenguin, a resource for consumers looking to make more informed financial decisions, identified the largest medical insurance providers in each state and Washington, D.C.

U.S. physicians are concerned about finances during the COVID-19 crisis, along with care quality and telehealth, according to a three-part survey conducted by global management consulting firm McKinsey & Co.

UnitedHealthcare is the country's largest health insurance company, covering 48.9 million members, according to ValuePenguin, a resource for consumers looking to make more informed financial decisions.

Six ASC administrators from California to New Jersey discuss the payer landscape in their area and what they expect in the next year.

Humana members in Florida will have in-network access to more than 6,000 Envision Healthcare clinicians under a multiyear, statewide agreement the two entities announced on Nov. 12.

Anthem, UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Health Care Service Corp and CVS Health together control more than 38 percent of the health insurance market, according to ValuePenguin, a resource for consumers looking to make more informed financial decisions.

In March 2019, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota instituted a site-of-service policy asking physicians to refer patients to high-quality, low-cost care at ASCs when medically appropriate.

In 2019, almost 50% of all insured individuals were insured through employer-sponsored plans. In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate climbed to a high of 14.7% before dropping to between 7.9 and 8.3% as of September 2020.

While COVID-19 initially caused a shutdown or significant slowdown for surgery centers, ASCs have worked their way back to achieving pre-pandemic volumes. Surgery centers have proven to deliver safe and high quality outcomes, and have become a very attractive destination for patients given that it allows them to have surgery without being required to enter a hospital setting. Given this dynamic, ASCs are well situated to continue growing and thriving in 2021 and beyond.

Nashville, Tenn.-based Envision Healthcare will install Ashish Goulatia as president of revenue collections and executive vice president of technology enablement on Dec. 1.

Monthly premiums for Medicare Part B coverage for outpatient care will increase to $148.50 in 2021, an increase of $3.90, according to a CMS announcement Nov. 6.

In 2020, claim volume changes, as well as an increase in uninsured patients, have caused ripple effects through the emergency medicine community.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made proactive revenue cycle management and cash flow top priorities for ASCs, according to Regent Revenue Cycle Management, an independent division of Westchester, Ill.-based Regent Surgical Health.

We have all heard the famous but unattributable quote, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

  America's Health Insurance Plans, a health insurance lobby, submitted comments on a CMS proposal that would bring faster Medicare coverage for medical devices, according to a Nov. 2 press release.

Humana's Deputy CMO Brian Powers, MD, shared his thoughts about low-value care in ASCs with Becker's ASC Review.

  Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Kansas City, Mo.-based Caravan Health are partnering to support the expansion of the Blue Premier value-based care program to more areas in the state, according to an Oct. 29 press release.