The bipartisan bill was passed in the House of Representatives on Nov. 30 and has two key provisions associated with Medicare patients:
1. Section 4012 directs the creation of a searchable website for Medicare beneficiaries to compare out-of-pocket costs and total expenses between ASCs and hospital outpatient departments.
2. Section 16003 protects physicians performing cases at ASCs from meaningful use penalties they’d face if they don’t adopt a certified EHR; there currently isn’t a certified EHR for ASCs. This legislation also gives HHS the ability to approve a certified EHR for ASCs.
The Senate is expected to vote next week on the legislation.
More articles on surgery centers:
AAAHC identifies 6 areas of improvement for ASCs to target
AmSurg, Envision Healthcare shareholders approve merger—4 key notes
The 5 ASC powerhouses: 35 things to know about the largest surgery center chains
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