Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) administrators are expressing concerns over several key figures that could impact the future of ASCs:
- 3.3% Cut in Physician Fee Schedule: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a 3.3 percent reduction to the physician fee schedule conversion factor for 2024. This comes at a time when inflation is anticipated to rise by 4.5 percent in the upcoming year.
- Physician Shortage: The U.S. is projected to face a significant physician shortage, which could reach up to 124,000 by 2034. This shortage is expected to be distributed between primary care physicians (up to 48,000) and specialists, surgeons, or hospitalists (76,000). Such a shortage could exacerbate the burnout experienced by current physicians and further limit patient access to care.
- Hospital Outpatient Departments vs. ASCs: Despite the growing popularity of ASC procedures, which typically cost less than those performed in hospital outpatient departments, hospitals are still leading in terms of the number of procedures performed for five common medical processes. These include mammograms, colonoscopy screenings, diagnostic colonoscopies, ear tympanostomy, and clinic visits.