Patient payments don’t have to be complicated. In this week's episode, we kick off our Patient Payments series with a practical guest conversation on what “good” looks like in 2026: integrated processing, fewer manual steps, faster reconciliation, and an easier way for patients to pay.

We cover where workflows commonly break down, why manual reconciliation and disconnected tools create errors and wasted time, and what to look for in modern payments and reporting.

We also close with quick headlines: CMS’s rural health transformation push, new research linking pre-surgery stress to worse recovery in older adults, a CEO transition at Compass Surgical Partners, and why the South is becoming a hotspot for ASC growth.

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Resources mentioned:

CMS Establishes Office of Rural Health Transformation, Unveils $50B in State Awards: What ASCs Need to Know (Ambulatory Surgery Center News)

Stress among older adults linked to worse surgery recovery (Duke University School of Medicine)

Compass Surgical Partners Names Mark Langston Chief Executive Officer (Compass Surgical Partners)

Why ASCs are surging in the South (Becker’s ASC Review)

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