AS I SEE IT


has increased 50 percent from 2014 to 2016, and these plans now cover almost one-third of the workforce. Mike is in this cohort, and like Mike, many peo- ple are finding they just cannot afford access to the health care they need. ASCs are a key part of the solution


for this affordable access equation. An increasing number of procedures con- tinue to shift from inpatient to outpatient, which means a burst in capacity and a win for affordability. Many commercial payers are already allowing total joints— hips, knees and shoulders—to be per- formed in the ASC setting. These payers understand their members will receive the same quality of care while achieving significant cost reductions. Ron Singer, MD, is a busy orthope-


dic surgeon in Charlotte, North Caro- lina, and performs total joint proce- dures at Edgewater Surgery Center in Fort Mill, South Carolina. “Physicians are on the front line of patient care,” he says, “and we see the dilemma people


whether total knee replacements should be removed from the inpatient only list in the future. “There are many active, oth- erwise healthy people over the age of 65 who suffer from knee, hip and shoulder pain,” Singer adds. “There is no clinical reason to prevent these Medicare total joint patients from enjoying the ASC experience. ASCs are safe, they provide excellent service and the outcomes are as good as anywhere else I go.”


ASCs Reduce Cost and Provide Greater Value


have when faced with a forced decision between quality of life and a staggering surgery bill. Moving procedures like total joints to the ASC not only makes sense for many patients from a quality standpoint, it also makes them more affordable for everyone, including the health plan and the employer.” CMS likely will follow suit by even-


tually allowing total joints in the ASC and is already soliciting comments on


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driven consumerism in health care, where employers, payers and third-par- ties are increasingly providing tools that allow consumers to shop based on price and patient reviews. While this trend remains in its early stages, it will increasingly have an impact on how patients interact with providers in the future. This is a big competitive advan- tage for most ASCs where common sur- geries can be half the price of a hospital. “We work with payers, employers and consumers across the country to help patients understand prices in their local community, compare providers and effectively shop for the best value health care,” says Bill Kampine, co-founder and senior vice president of Healthcare Blue- book, a company that provides health care cost and quality transparency solu- tions to consumers and employers. “Our research shows that ASCs consistently rate among the top providers in terms of cost and quality in most communities. This is a powerful advantage for ASCs as millions of patients each year use price and quality transparency platforms, like Healthcare Bluebook, to search for ser- vices and choose cost-effective providers for their care.”


According to a 2016 study by Healthcare Bluebook and HealthSmart, an independent administrator of health plans for self-funded employers, ASCs can be credited with saving more


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