Outpatient care made up a greater portion of rising healthcare spending over the past decade, according to a Health Care Cost Institute analysis, AJMC reports.  By Angie Stewart - 9/20/18

Carevoyance compiled a list of unusual ICD-10 codes to highlight the level of specificity ASCs, hospitals and medical practices must capture, according to Chief Commercial Officer Katie Vahle.  By Angie Stewart - 9/20/18

It's never been easy to be a surgical patient. First, there's the anxiety related to undergoing a procedure. Even for routine, outpatient surgical care, there are always safety risks. Then, there are all the other stressful — and sometimes uncomfortable — issues tied to surgery, such as preparation, post-operative side effects, physical therapy and follow-up care, coordinating transportation to and from the facility, taking time off work and arranging for support at home.  By Randy Bishop, Partner, Surgical Funds - 9/19/18

Provation launched Provation Apex, a cloud-based procedure documentation software platform designed to improve outcomes, enhance clinical productivity and increase physician satisfaction in ASCs and hospitals.  By Angie Stewart - 9/19/18

Here are four billing and coding updates with the potential to impact ASC reimbursement:  By Angie Stewart - 9/18/18

A series of healthcare stakeholders said insufficient EHR interoperability is one of the major barriers to value-based care adoption, HealthData Management reports.  By Eric Oliver - 9/18/18

CMS proposed eliminating "unnecessary, obsolete or excessively burdensome" Medicare regulations for ASCs and other healthcare facilities.  By Angie Stewart - 9/17/18

Boston-based Partners Healthcare and Boston-based Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary agreed to pay the state $175,000 to settle alleged Massachusetts consumer protection law violations.  By Eric Oliver - 9/14/18

Interventional radiology ASCs have more ways than ever to collect for procedures, thanks to a surge in the number of billing codes supporting these facilities, according to Mark F. Weiss and Cecilia Kronawitter.  By Angie Stewart - 9/14/18

The Dialysis Vascular Access Coalition is urging Congress to block CMS' proposed cuts to reimbursement for vascular access services, saying the proposal threatens access to care for end-stage renal disease patients.  By Angie Stewart - 9/13/18

Crescent City, Calif.-based Sutter Coast Hospital will terminate its emergency room services provider contract with Nashville, Tenn.-based Envision Healthcare in 90 days, the Del Norte Triplicate reports.  By Angie Stewart - 9/12/18

Wauwatosa (Wis.) Surgery Center is partnering with Access HealthNet to increase patient volume and simplify revenue cycle collections.  By Angie Stewart - 9/11/18

In August, Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare Services paid $65 million to settle allegations it violated the False Claims Act by admitting patients who only required outpatient care and engaging in upcoding.   By Angie Stewart - 9/11/18

Alpharetta, Ga.-based Surgical Information Systems' Jho Outlaw, senior vice president of revenue cycle services, and Jessica Nelson, director of revenue cycle services shared their insights on the common obstacles that prevent an ASC being paid in a recent webinar. Surgical Information Systems summarized the questions Ms. Nelson and Ms.Outlaw were asked on their blog.  By Rachel Popa - 9/10/18

CMS halted its payments to Oklahoma City-based ESEC Surgery Center Aug. 18, but the center is working diligently to correct two deficiencies, NewsOk reports.  By Eric Oliver - 9/10/18

A New Jersey law designed to shield consumers from surprise medical bills from out-of-network providers went into full effect Aug. 30, with several implications for ASCs, InsideARM reports.  By Angie Stewart - 9/7/18

Managing accounts receivable helps ASC revenue cycle management staff determine where to concentrate collection efforts, according to Outsource Strategies International.  By Angie Stewart - 9/6/18

We've come a long way from the notoriously illegible, handwritten doctor's note. Does it read "sepsis" or "sinus"? The implications of choosing one versus the other are enormous.  By HealthChannels CEO Michael Murphy, MD - 9/6/18

The patient collection process has moved beyond simply collecting patient co-payments and sending billing statements. In today’s healthcare environment, providers and their office staff are faced with the daunting challenge of reframing business practice to help maximize reimbursement from not only health insurers but from patients as well. A TransUnion Healthcare analysis uncovered that patient responsibility or patient out-of-pocket expenses rose on average 11% in 2017; a trend that does not appear to be slowing. With this heightened focus on patient collections, let us explore ways to positively impact the patient experience through the use of new technology, discuss consumer protections and the barriers they add to collections, and review other best practices that will help you maximize your revenue.  By Kylie Kaczor - 9/5/18

The American Medical Association revealed the 2019 Current Procedural Terminology code set, which includes significant changes to CPT codes and descriptors.  By Angie Stewart - 9/5/18