ASC Coding, Billing & Collections

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:

Certificate-of-need laws, which require healthcare providers to receive government permission to build facilities, are an obstacle for ASC growth in many markets. 

Five ASC leaders recently joined Becker's to discuss how reimbursement issues remain one of the biggest challenges for surgery centers in many markets. 

A Kings Point, N.Y.-based physician has been found guilty in a kickback scheme that defrauded Medicaid and subjected patients to procedures they did not need. 

At the Becker's 29th Annual ASC Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, David Law, chief client officer of Zotec Partners, and Lisa Bridwell, client relationship manager at the revenue cycle management company, discussed the importance of a patient-focused approach…

Johnson City, Tenn.-based State of Franklin Healthcare Associates has joined Farm Bureau Health Plans' Medicare Advantage network, in a move that comes as several major health systems are shying away from Medicare Advantage partnerships. 

ASCs have long faced obstacles to reimbursements, and some leaders are finding increasing obstacles to securing necessary pay for procedures. 

The chief compliance officer of a pharmacy holding company was sentenced to four years and six months in prison and must pay $21.7 million in restitution for his role in a healthcare fraud scheme. 

An often-overlooked part of running a practice is how to handle billing and collections. Having a partnership with a collections agency is something practices should consider, according to a Nov. 6 post by Anesthesia Business Consultants on its website.