Careplus Blog Archives
A recent anesthesia reimbursement policy change penalizes facilities that use more efficient, flexible anesthesia staffing models. The vast majority of hospitals in the United States, an estimated 80% or more, pay anesthesia subsidies. Declining anesthesia revenues have furthered the inadequacies of anesthesia reimbursement covering anesthesia expenses. Several factors are driving this decline, including a…
Managing staffing shortages has been a persistent challenge for ASCs since the COVID-19 pandemic began nearly three years ago. Now, heading into 2023, research shows that a lack of staffing continues to be a threat to the financial health and growth potential of centers across the country: Many ASCs spend a quarter or more…
Collecting payment for surgical procedures — whether from government or private payers, self-insured employers, or directly from patients — is a significant challenge for medical practices and surgery centers. Factors including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and changes to Medicare reimbursement rates have increased pressure on practices to improve the effectiveness of their billing and collections.…
The ASC market has demonstrated steady growth over the last several years, and it is projected to continue its expansion throughout the next decade. ASCs now perform more than half of all outpatient surgical procedures in the United States. According to recent analyses, ASC surgery volume is expected to increase by 15% by 2028…
At CarePlus, we understand the complexities of anesthesia management. We have three primary strategies we utilize to simplify the anesthesia management process to ensure both patient and ASC satisfaction. Specialized Service The foundation of our service is outstanding patient care first and foremost. On top of that foundation, we build specialized processes rooted in…
When we talk to ASC leaders, we often hear that anesthesia scheduling is one of their primary stressors, particularly lack of flexibility when needing to change start times or accommodate an add-on case. Administrators describe this issue as “reliability” or “flexibility”, whereas surgeons frustratingly cite “unnecessary day-of-service cancellations.” No matter how you label…
Consumer ratings are a metric for every product and service. Those with “good” marks are no longer good enough in today’s world. Anything less than a “very good” or “excellent” average is a failing grade. Ambulatory Surgery Center’s customer satisfaction surveys typically contain one question specifically about anesthesia. Despite this factor, the anesthesia experience has…
Ambulatory surgery centers regularly face challenges in maintaining an efficient revenue cycle — from staffing shortages and variable caseload volumes to healthcare coverage changes and payment delays. Anesthesia is a key element of patient care that impacts an ASC’s financial stability. Here are three important ways that professionalized anesthesia management can contribute to an efficient…
Better data and collaborative efforts come along with the potential for increases in volume. Tracking a multitude of clinical, financial, and operational metrics provides insight into each center’s distinct challenges as well as their improvements over time. Additionally, due to our extensive network, CarePlus can benchmark acquired data against similar centers to help identify areas…
Ambulatory surgery centers continue to encounter challenges, such as payment delays and staffing shortages, when it comes to maintaining an efficient revenue cycle. The COVID-19 Pandemic made things worse as many non-emergent procedures were postponed or canceled altogether. Anesthesia is an important element of patient care that can either help or hinder an ASC’s financial stability.…