From stagnant payer contracts to underutilized operating roomtime, the financial vulnerabilities in today’s ASC landscape are as varied as they are preventable. Rising labor, supply and anesthesia expenses are outpacing reimbursement gains, squeezing margins at centers still operating on volume-first…
Author: Patsy Newitt
Dermatology and orthopedics are the most appealing specialties for attracting medical students and residents over the next three years, each cited by 54% of physicians surveyed, according to Medscape’s “Most Popular Specialties for Doctors” report published April 21. Medscape surveyed…
Orthopedic surgeons and radiologists are among the most likely physicians to accumulate significant wealth, while rheumatologists and pediatricians lag far behind, according to Medscape’s 2026 “Physician Wealth and Debt Report.” The survey of nearly 6,000 physicians found that more than…
St. Louis-based Orthopedic Care Partners Management and Joint Health, doing business as Motion Orthopedics, filed a breach of contract petition on April 6 in St. Louis County Circuit Court against George Paletta, MD, alleging he owes the practices more than…
The Department of Justice is actively prosecuting kickback arrangements in the lab and diagnostic space, including payments disguised as consulting or medical director fees, according to an April 24 post from law firm ArentFox Schiff. In 2025 alone, the department…
Advertisement
Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems is making a decisive pivot toward ASC growth. The nation’s largest for-profit hospital operator by facility count has spent recent years shedding underperforming hospitals, divesting seven in 2025 alone, while simultaneously doubling down on outpatient…
Eighty-six cardiology and electrophysiology codes — spanning catheter ablations, coronary revascularization procedures, electrophysiologic evaluations, heart failure management techniques and investigational device exemption studies — have been added to the ASC-covered services list, a move that could significantly expand the scope…
Orthopedics and plastic surgery have traded the top two spots in Medscape’s annual Physician Compensation Report every year since 2021, with orthopedics seeing compensation climb by more than $80,000 over that span. Orthopedic surgeons now command an average of $611,000…
A federal court has dismissed all claims brought by Anthem Blue Cross of California against Irvine, Calif.-based HaloMD and its co-defendants, rejecting the insurer’s attempt to use federal litigation to challenge awards issued under the No Surprises Act’s Independent Dispute…
Optum Health posted adjusted earnings of $1.3 billion in first-quarter 2026, ahead of analyst expectations, driven by what leaders called a return to “disciplined, integrated value-based care,” in an April 21 earnings call. The result follows significant restructuring across Optum’s…