10 things to know about Ambulatory Surgery Center procedures

More procedures are migrating to the outpatient setting, including knee and hip arthroplasty procedures, according to data from MedPAC and Advisory Board.

MedPAC’s 2019 commission report to Congress outlined data on ASC characteristics, including which specialties experienced growth.

Key details to know:

1. Pain management ASCs grew most rapidly during the period covered by the report between 2015 and 2017. In 2017, there were 100 more pain management ASCs billing Medicare than in 2015.

2. Changing technology and clinical practices are contributing to the expansion of the types of procedures performed in ASCs. As this trend continues, more knee and hip arthroplasty procedures may be done in ASCs.

3. ASCs are more convenient for patients than hospital outpatient departments, according to MedPAC. Patients coinsurance is lower in ASCs than hospital outpatient departmetns for procedures covered on the ASC payment system.

4. Value-based care and the low-cost settings of ASCs make them appealing investments for private equity firms and hospital systems.

The percentage of surgeries completed in the inpatient setting has dropped since 2005, and analysts expect the decline will continue, according to an Advisory Board report.

The key statistics to know:

Inpatient surgery percentage by year

5. 2005: 42 percent
6. 2010: 40 percent
7. 2015: 37 percent
8. 2020 (projected): 36 percent

Distribution of outpatient surgeries

2005
9. ASC: 41 percent
10. HOPD: 59 percent

https://www.beckersasc.com/benchmarking/10-things-to-know-about-asc-procedures.html