ASC Coding, Billing & Collections

Here are six recent moves by CMS that may benefit — or burden — ASCs, as reported by Becker's in 2024: 

ASCs are historically reimbursed at lower levels than hospital outpatient departments, despite being considered by many in healthcare to be a high-quality and low-cost site of care. 

The Federal Trade Commission has banned noncompete clauses for most U.S. workers, The Washington Post reported April 23. 

The Pennsylvania House has passed legislation that would ban noncompete clauses for  physicians, certified registered nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

The Federal Trade Commission will hold an open meeting to vote on its proposed noncompete ban April 23.

The manual prior authorization process stands as a notorious drain on both time and money. For ASCs, this aspect of the revenue cycle curtails efficiency but also strains staff resources, jeopardizing cash flow and overall financial success.

The American Medical Association backed the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's recommendations for Congress to reform Medicare payments.

CMS settled a record-breaking $12.56 million in Stark law voluntary self-referral disclosure settlements in 2022, according to recent CMS data.

Physicians, state governments and the Federal Trade Commission are all battling to reform policy surrounding noncompete clauses, which prohibit physicians from seeing patients one to two years within a geographic region if they are fired or quit their job.

Noncompete clauses are facing increasing scrutiny, as physicians, states and even the Federal Trade Commission look to reform policy.