The ASC Quality and Access Act of 2019 was introduced on Sept. 17 by U.S. Reps. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., and John Larson, D-Conn. ASCA pledged its support on Sept. 18.
Also known as HR 4350, the legislation would:
- Require inflation updates to be the same for ASCs and HOPDs
- Require CMS to publish quality data in a way that allows patients to compare sites of service
- Require CMS to add an ASC representative to its Advisory Panel on Hospital Outpatient Payment
- Require CMS to disclose reasons for the exclusion of a procedure from the ASC-payable list
ASCA CEO William Prentice said the legislation would decrease Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket costs and stabilize the Medicare program.
“This bill addresses those priorities by making a permanent fix to Medicare’s reimbursement structure that will increase our seniors’ access to the high-value care provided in ASCs, while also increasing transparency so they and their families have the information they need to be informed decision-makers,” he said.
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