FEATURE ASCA’s Greatest “Hits” in 2012


To help us deliver your news faster and offer you instant access to the ASC infor- mation and resources you need, ASCA introduced several new online and digital re- sources this year. These new tools include everything from ASCA’s redesigned web site


(www.ascassociation.org) to the association’s new members-only online networking community (ASCA Connect), two weekly online newsletters, a new digital version of ASC Focus magazine and a mobile app that ASC professionals across the country are using to connect directly from their smart phones to valuable online discussion groups. What topics, articles and resources interested ASCA members most in 2012?


See the descriptions that follow. If you haven’t already connected to all of the information and resources on this list, visit them on ASCA’s web site today.


ASCA’s Most Popular Web Resources in 2012


1. CMS’ Quality Reporting Specifications Manual


2. ASCA’s ASC Quality Reporting Toolkit


3. ASCA 2012 Program


4. CMS’ Proposed Quality Reporting Requirements for ASCs


5. ASCA’s 2012 Medicare Rate Calculator


Download these resources at www.ascassociation.org/ GreatestHits2012.


Quality Reporting


After Medicare announced its new ASC quality reporting program, ques- tions arose about what ASCs need to do to comply. With nearly 4,000 and nearly 6,000 downloads respectively, ASCA’s Quality Reporting Toolkit and the ASC Quality Reporting Measures Specifications Manual released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Ser- vices (CMS) quickly became two of the most popular resources available from ASCA’s web site this year. These documents and more about qual-


ity reporting are available at www.asc association.org/QualityReporting.


ASCA 2012/ASCA 2013 The third most frequently downloaded document from ASCA’s web site this year was the program for ASCA 2012—


ASCA’s annual meeting in Dallas, Texas, and the largest ASC meeting of the year. New information about ASCA 2013— ASCA’s next annual meeting in Boston, April 17–20, 2013—is being released as it becomes available. Find what you need to know at www.ascassociation.org/ ASCA2013.


Drug Shortages Announcements throughout


the year


related to the critical drug shortag- es that are challenging ASCs across the country have been viewed more than 36,000 times. In March, ASCA launched a “Drug Shortages Infor- mation Center” on its web site. Visit the center at www.ascassociation.org/ DrugShortages for more.


Medicare’s ASC Regulatory Requirements and Payment System Many of ASCA’s most frequently viewed web pages this year had something to do with Medicare regulations or payment policies. The Medicare homepage on ASCA’s web site (www.ascassociation. org/Medicare) has been visited more than 13,500 times. Medicare’s payment rate calculator (www.ascassociation.org/Rate- Calculator), which is available to ASCA members only, has been accessed more than 6,000 times.


A letter CMS sent to its state sur-


vey agency directors in April clarified that the advance notifications Medicare requires ASCs to give patients can be given on the same day as the patients’ surgery as long those notifications are


34 ASC FOCUS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012


provided before the surgery begins. That letter was viewed more than 4,900 times and downloaded more than 1,500 times. Read or download a copy at www.ascassociation.org/GreatestHits2012.


Health Care Reform


At the end of June, the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act’s provi- sions requiring individual health insur- ance for all but decided to let states out of expanding Medicaid by changing enrollment requirements. More than 5,200 viewers read ASCA’s announce- ment about the ruling and downloaded a copy of the Supreme Court ruling. Read the announcement and down- load the ruling at www.ascassociation.org/ GreatestHits2012.


ICD-10 In February, the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) issued a proposed rule that established Octo- ber 1, 2014, as the new ICD-10 compli- ance deadline. In August, HHS finalized that proposal. More than 6,200 people read the announcement, which can be accessed at www.ascassociation.org/ GreatestHits2012.


Prepare Now for 2013 Visit ASCA’s web site at www.ascasso- ciation.org and join in the discussions on ASCA Connect at www.ascaconnect.org. You can also follow ASCA on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.


Most-Read on the Web from ASCA in 2012


1. Medicare Releases Quality Reporting Codes


2. Congress Delays SGR Cuts 3. Drug Shortage Resources


4. How the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Health Care Affects ASCs


5. CMS Releases Quality Reporting Manual


Find these articles at www.ascassociation.org/ GreatestHits2012.


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