North Carolina bill aims to make opening physician-owned ASCs easier.
Three Republican lawmakers have sponsored a North Carolina bill that would ease the strict certificate of need program in the state and make it easier for physician-owned ASCs to open. The North Carolina Hospital Association opposes the bill.
Sansum Clinic, Towbes Group break ground on a new outpatient center.
On Tuesday, Sansum Clinic and Towbes Group broke ground on the 60,000-square-foot Sansum Clinic Foothill Medical Center in Santa Barbara, Calif. The center will include an ambulatory surgery center.
Republican & Democratic budget plans both impact healthcare spending.
The design of the GOP’s budget proposal, lead by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), would balance the federal budget in 10 years with $4.6 trillion in spending cuts through 2023. This includes repealing key features of health law and the privatization of Medicare. Democrats have defended Medicare and Medicaid. Instead, they are aiming for a $100 billion economic stimulus initiative and a $1 trillion cut in federal spending, a large portion of which would be cut from defense.
Oregon bill intends to stop direct-to-patient insurance company payments.
Alan Bates, Democratic state senator (D-Medford), has sponsored a bill that would prevent insurers in Oregon from sending checks for surgery directly to patients. The Oregon Medical Association supports the bill.
52 percent of hospitals have physician practice acquisition plans for 2013.
In a survey of 118 hospitals, 52 percent plan to acquire physician practices in 2013. In 2012, 44 percent of hospitals acquired physician practices.
Pain management market to dramatically increase.
The pain management market, currently valued at $52 million, is expected to catapult by 2018. The opioid portion of the market is growing at a rate of 20 percent and will constitute 43 percent of the pain management market by 2018
Dr. Jay Berman performs first US commercial Acessa procedure at Berry Surgery Center.
Jay Berman, MD, performed the first commercial Acessa procedure for the treatment of uterine fibroids in the US at Berry Surgery Center in Farmington Hills, Mich.
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