ASC Coding, Billing & Collections

CMS has released its Medicare physician fee schedule proposed rule for 2023, which suggests further cuts to physician pay while inflation and the cost of running an independent practice continue to rise.

Here are five recent updates on one of the country's largest insurers: 

A retired orthopedic surgeon in Fresno, Calif., was charged nearly $4,000 more for a cataract surgery at a hospital outpatient department than his wife who received the same procedure at an ASC, Kaiser Health News reported June 27. 

UnitedHealthcare is the largest insurer by revenue, according to a June 2022 Value Penguin report. 

Fifteen Texas physicians will pay a total of $2.83 million to resolve False Claim Act allegations involving kickbacks, the Justice Department said June 28.

ASCs have long faced challenges in securing reimbursements, but successful ASCs are focused on payer contracting strategy. 

ASCs in the Wichita, Kan., area are returning to pre-pandemic case numbers, Wichita Business Journal reported June 17.

Aetna, a CVS Health company, insurers about 39 million people. 

Anthem is one of the country's largest health insurers.

Arkansas physician Joe May, MD, was convicted on 22 counts over his involvement in a scheme to defraud Tricare of $12 million, the Justice Department said June 10.