A Seattle-based plastic surgery center was fined $5 million for threatening patients with illegal nondisclosure agreements and falsifying online reviews to inflate their surgeon owners' reputation, according to a July 2 news release from Washington's Office of the Attorney General.
ASC News
Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare is a major player in the ASC market, operating 124 ASCs through its outpatient surgery business Surgery Ventures. HCA is affiliated with more than 45,000 physicians and operates 186 hospitals nationwide.
For the last five years, the same five physician specialties have traded spots in the lowest-paying slots of Medscape's annual compensation report.
Home health companies Guardian Health Care, Gem City Home Care and Care Connection of Cincinnati have agreed to pay $4.5 million to settle claims they provided kickbacks to physicians and assisted living facilities for Medicare referrals.
Median monthly physician practice expenses exceeded $1 million for the first time in May, according to a report from Strata's Monthly Healthcare Industry Financial Benchmarks.
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The average U.S. medical student leaves college with $206,924 in loan debt, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Several health systems and physicians have moved to enter the ASC market in 2024. Amid growing competition, being fiscally savvy has become increasingly important in the outpatient space.
Independent ASCs often struggle to compete with larger providers in securing lucrative contracts for reimbursements and supplies, but have a critical edge when it comes to recruitment.
A physician in the Chicago suburbs has pleaded guilty to a $2.4 million healthcare fraud scheme of billing Medicaid and private insurers for nonexistent services.
Youngstown, Ohio, was ranked U.S. News & World Report's most affordable place to retire in 2024.