Two Little Rock, Ark.-based ASCs — Freeway Surgery Center and Centerview Surgery Center — have filed a complaint against Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Little Rock, the state's largest health insurance company, over millions of dollars in unpaid reimbursements for procedures performed during the peak of COVID-19, according to a Dec. 11 report from Arkansas Business. 

The American Medical Association has identified the insurance industry giants with the largest shares of the commercial health insurance, Medicare Advantage and public health exchange markets in 2023. 

MedPAC is urging Congress to increase Medicare pay in its 2025 payment update recommendations drafted Dec. 8. 

Amazon, CVS Health and Optum are no strangers to value-based care. Here's how they dug deeper into the model in 2023: 

Cardiac surgeons are the physician specialty with the highest average charges, according to a November report from Definitive Healthcare. 

The ASC payable list from CMS has seen sizable change in the last five years — but has it been enough to allow ASCs to thrive?

As of Dec. 1, Roseville, Calif.-based Adventist Health will no longer accept Blue Shield of California insurance plans. 

In November, CMS announced plans to reduce overall physician pay by 1.25% in 2024 and update the conversion factor to $32.74, a 3.4% decrease over last year, much to the chagrin of physicians and ASC leaders alike. 

ASC leaders are becoming increasingly frustrated with the reimbursement disparity between hospital outpatient departments and surgery centers.

Here are five statistics on the adaptation, popularity and potential benefits of value-based payment models to provide insight for ASC leaders:

Louisville, Ky.-based Baptist Health will officially cut ties with UnitedHealthcare and Wellcare's Medicare Advantage plans beginning in January, according to a Nov. 30 report from Louisville Public Media. 

ASCs are facing obstacles from payers in many markets to receive the reimbursements leaders say are needed to meet margins. Here is how many leaders are shifting their strategy.

As of the beginning of December, 13 candidates remain in the race for president, including seven Republicans, three Democrats and three independent party members, according to NBC News. 

Oscar Lightner, MD, a physician at a Houston pain management clinic, was sentenced to seven years in prison for operating a clinic that sold illegal prescriptions. 

Tulsa, Okla.-based Ascension St. John has joined Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma's Medicare Advantage network, according to a Nov. 30 report from the Owasso Reporter.

A Georgia Senate committee has recommended the repeal of certificate-of-need laws in their entirety, according to a Nov. 29 report from the panel. 

Tumwater, Wash,-based sleep disorder practice Innovative Sleep Centers will pay $644,562 to resolve allegations it improperly billed Medicare and Medicaid. 

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas is expanding its Medicare Advantage coverage for 2024, entering 80 additional counties in the state. 

A proposed bill in the Florida House would eliminate noncompete agreements for physicians, NBC affiliate WCTV reported Nov. 29.

Here are five recent CMS moves that are shaping the ASC industry: