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ASCs Persevere for Quality … Even in the Face of Budget Cuts
Even as ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) face additional cuts in the 2009 budget proposal sent to Congress by President Bush, owners and operators are preparing for compliance with new quality reporting requirements imposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). In final rules implementing a new payment system for surgical services provided by ASCs, CMS proposed that ASCs ...(More)
4/1/2008
NEWS
Calif. Recovers Over $1 Million from PacifiCare/UnitedHealth GroupInsurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and Cindy Ehnes, director of the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC), filed a joint action against PacifiCare companies, owned by UnitedHealth Group, in response to more than 130,000 alleged claims-handling violations. This joint endeavor is a historic step in the efforts of both the California Department of ...(More)
4/1/2008
Daily Ways to Save Money Abound at ASCs
Sage AdviceAn overall financial plan is vital, but is impotent without the day-to-day operational efficiencies that can make or break any business, including ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). In the end, the little things really do matter.Some steps that ASC owners or administrators can take to keep costs down include offering flexible staffing hours to meet scheduling needs without incurring overtime, ...(More)
4/1/2008
A/R Harmful to Health of ASC Business
Practicing healthcare is a service, but running an ambulatory surgical center (ASC) is a business. With current reimbursement and self-pay conditions, more patients are overwhelmed with higher out-of-pocket costs than ever before. ASCs that provide financing options make it easier for patients to fit procedure costs into their monthly budget. A recent survey conducted by Inquire Market Research revealed that ...(More)
4/1/2008
Keys to Building a Business-Oriented ASC
Effective scheduling of the qualified clinicians — so essential to our industry — is key to running a business-oriented ASC.Operating a successful ambulatory surgery center (ASC) in today’s competitive environment requires much more than providing great service. High quality of care is the fundamental requirement that earns an ASC the right to open its doors, but the most successful ASC ...(More)
4/1/2008
Solutions in Technology
Health information technology (IT) allows comprehensive management of medical information and, according to the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN), it is the perfect platform for the secure exchange of information between healthcare consumers and providers.It is no secret that the use of IT in healthcare can improve healthcare quality, help to prevent medical errors, help in reduction of healthcare costs, ...(More)
4/1/2008
Efficient Staffing for an ASC
One of the most difficult aspects of running an efficient ambulatory surgery center (ASC) is maintaining appropriate staffing levels. I cannot think of any other business where the staffing needs change so dramatically from day-to-day. In addition to the dramatic fluctuations in staffing needs, the cost of staff is very high leading to reduced margins and in some cases the ...(More)
4/1/2008
Exercising Efficiency in the Billing Process
In today’s market of dwindling reimbursement, efficiency in all areas of the billing process is paramount.You can’t expect random and unsupervised billing and collection procedures to produce a successful outcome. For the best reimbursement results, provide your staff with specific billing guidelines and a well-organized plan.In the lingo of billers and payors, the term “clean claim” takes on significant meaning ...(More)
4/1/2008
Cashing Out: Uncovering Your Hidden Business Assets
Too many exiting entrepreneurs — as well as their legal, financial and business advisors — leave too much cash behind because they fail to recognize the enormous value hidden within one of their most overlooked and underutilized business assets. Due to the aging of the baby boomers, we are at the precipice of the largest business transition in history, with ...(More)
4/1/2008
New Processes, New Software Help ASC Reach Elusive Goals
Like most ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), the Surgery Center at Pelham in Greer, S.C., is constantly reminded of the need to accomplish challenging goals that are often thought to be contradictory: reducing operating costs, improving patient satisfaction, and increasing net revenue per case.The road to meeting those goals is a steep one, especially in a surgical practice that, like most, ...(More)
4/1/2008
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