What Will Medicare Pay ASCs in 2011?
9/1/2010 2:00:00 AM by: Kathy Bryant An ASC Association analysis shows that if the 2011 rates proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 2 are adopted without change, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) will be paid only 56 percent of what hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) will be paid for performing the same procedures next year. (This analysis is based upon 2008 Medicare volume; an updated analysis will be available when the 2009 volume data is available.) In 2010, ASCs receive 58 percent of what HOPDs are paid for the same procedures. The proposed payments for all nine of the services performed most frequently by ASCs are less than what is paid for these procedures in 2010. This will be the fourth consecutive year that the payment rates for these procedures decrease. A list of the proposed ASC payment rates for all procedures proposed to be on the ASC list in 2011 is available at www.ascassociation.org. Numerous other resources that can help you asses
