In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice and ASCA Chief Advocacy Officer Kara Newbury summarize the key provisions of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) 2026 proposed payment rule for ASCs and hospital outpatient departments. During this enlightening conversation, Prentice and Newbury break down the proposed inflationary update and other related factors for procedures performed in ASCs. They also discuss the significant number of additional procedures that would be added to the ASC Covered Procedures List (ASC-CPL) and the proposed elimination of several quality reporting requirements. 

Comments on the proposed rule are due by September 15.

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice talks with Todd Currier, ASCA Board treasurer and administrator of Bend Surgery Center in Bend, Oregon, about the importance of having ASC owners and physicians involved in ASCA’s federal ASC advocacy efforts. They also discuss ways every ASC could benefit from Currier’s model for owner engagement and participation. Today, 90 percent of the physicians practicing at Bend Surgery Center contribute to ASCAPAC, the only political action committee devoted exclusively to advancing the issues that matter most to ASCs of every specialty throughout the US.

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice talks with ASCA Regulatory Counsel and Director of Government Affairs Kara Newbury about the 2024 outpatient payment and quality reporting rule the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released on November 2, 2023. A highlight of the conversation is their discussion of ASCA’s successful efforts to add several dozen new codes to the ASC Covered Procedures List (ASC-CPL). These include total shoulder arthroplasty, a procedure ASCA has long encouraged Medicare to allow its beneficiaries to access in orthopedic surgery centers. Prentice and Newbury also discuss a payment update that rises above the amount projected in the proposed rule, prospective changes to the ASC Quality Reporting Program and more.

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice talks about several proposed amendments to ASCA’s bylaws that voting representatives from ASCA facility members will be asked to vote on between November 17 and December 13, 2023. In total, there are nine amendments covering five subject areas that ASCA members will be asked to approve in a single ballot question. The amendments clarify the definition of a voting member of ASCA, align nominations and elections to the ASCA Board of Directors with best practices of modern trade associations and simplify the process for future amendments to ASCA’s bylaws. The proposed amendments have already been unanimously approved by the ASCA Board of Directors. Voting representatives from ASCA facility members are now asked to familiarize themselves with the proposals and vote to affirm the changes by December 13, 2023.

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice and ASCA Regulatory Counsel and Director of Government Affairs Kara Newbury discuss the 2024 proposed ASC payment rule released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 13, 2023. Prentice and Newbury provide a topline summary of the 963-page proposal that looks at the proposed inflationary update factor for ASCs, changes to the ASC Covered Procedures List (ASC-CPL), changes to the Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program and more. Comments on the proposed rule are due by September 11, 2023. 

ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice talks with ASCA Regulatory Counsel and Director of Government Affairs Kara Newbury about key provisions of Medicare’s 2023 final ASC payment rule released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on November 1, 2022. The two discuss new complexity adjustments CMS adopted for ASCs, the inflation adjustment made to ASC reimbursement rates, changes to the ASC Covered Procedures List (ASC-CPL) and the status of ASC quality reporting measure ASC-11. They also talk about ASCA’s plans for responding to the new rule and tools ASCA will be offering its members to help them adapt to changes the 2023 rule contains. 

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice and ASCA Regulatory Counsel and Director of Government Affairs Kara Newbury discuss the 2023 proposed ASC payment rule released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 15, 2022. Prentice and Newbury provide a topline summary of the 886-page proposal that looks at the proposed inflationary update factor for ASCs, changes to the process for adding additional codes to the ASC Covered Procedures List (ASC-CPL), changes to the Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program and more. Comments on the proposed rule are due by September 13, 2022.

ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice and ASCA Regulatory Counsel and Director of Government Affairs Kara Newbury come together to discuss the 2022 proposed payment rule for ASCs and hospital outpatient departments released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 19, 2021. The proposal will be finalized later this year after CMS officials review comments submitted by interested parties. Once final, the rule will set Medicare reimbursement levels for procedures and quality reporting requirements for ASCs, determine which surgical procedures ASCs can perform for Medicare beneficiaries and more, effective January 1, 2022.

Charlie Leonard of ASCA’s public affairs team talks with ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice about the new 401(k) plan ASCA is making available to its members. In this brief introduction, Prentice explains how ASCA members can request a free evaluation of their current retirement plans or learn more about the benefits of establishing a first-time retirement plan for their employees. Prentice also discusses the time and cost savings ASCA members could realize when they participate in this new ASCA benefit.

In this episode of the Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice is joined by ASCA Regulatory Counsel and Director of Government Affairs Kara Newbury for a discussion about MedPAC, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. Prentice and Newbury look at the role of the 17-member commission in providing advice and recommendations to Congress regarding payments to Medicare-approved providers, including ASCs.