The study, commissioned by the ASC Coalition, examined the growth in the number of ASCs from 2000 to 2007 and also found that ASCs were essential providers of surgical and cancer screening services for Medicare patients and that 70 percent of the growth in Medicare services provided by ASCs in that time resulted from moving procedures from hospital outpatient department into less expensive ASC settings, according to the release.
Another finding showed that for gastrointestinal and ophthalmology services, 75 percent and 94 percent of the growth, respectively, in ASC services over the study period was from the migration of services into the less expensive ASC setting. However, the growth of ASCs did not result in an increase in the number of surgical procedures, according to the release.
According to the release, these findings suggest that the growth of ASCs has helped to ensure access to essential surgical and cancer screening services at a savings to the Medicare program and its beneficiaries, and these savings should represent an important contribution to achieving healthcare reform goals.
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