Supply and implant costs are rising across ASC specialties, but three surgery center leaders say no single line item tells the full story.
Orthopedic implants, anesthesia stipends and staffing costs are all climbing, and the administrators managing them say the real lever isn’t negotiating any one price down. It’s running a tighter operation.
Three leaders joined Becker’s to discuss which cost surprised them most in the past year and how they responded.
Question: Which supply or implant cost increased the most unexpectedly over the past year, and how did your ASC respond?
Megan Friedman, MD. Chair and Medical Director of Pacific Coast Anesthesia Consultants (Los Angeles): Rather than any single supply or implant, the most significant cost pressure I’ve observed has been the overall cost of delivering surgical care. Our response has not been to focus on cutting individual line items, but instead on improving operational efficiency.
By optimizing scheduling, consolidating underutilized rooms, reducing downtime, and matching staffing to actual case volume, we’ve been able to better manage rising costs without compromising patient care or surgeon access. In my experience, improving operations often has a greater financial impact than negotiating the price of any single supply or implant.
Patrick Garman. Administrator of Spartan Health (Monongahela Pa.): Orthopedic implant and supply cost have seen increases as we have seen a large migration of orthopedic total joint replacement surgery migrate from the hospital and HOPD areas to the ASC model. Getting the surgeons on the same page to negotiate favorable pricing and volume benchmarks is the only way to find favorable results.
Thomas Hutchinson. Administrator of the Surgery Center of Central Florida (Ocala): Implant or supply specific, nothing is standing out in my ASC, but an increased cost we see is anesthesia and staffing. With our growth we have added more full time staff and the cost of staff steadily rises in order to recruit good nurses and techs.
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.