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MedPAC report compares patient outcomes in ASCs, hospitals

Ambulatory Surgery Reimbursement Update, November 16, 2004

A report issued this week by The Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC) illustrate comparisons between the rate and outcome of various surgical procedures performed both in hospitals and ASCs.

According to a November 15 release by the American Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers, the report was assembled by the RAND Corporation and was conducted in order to discern whether services provided in multiple ambulatory settings vary by site of care. The study compared such shared medical procedures as cataract surgery, colonoscopy and MRIs.

Results gleaned from the reports included, in part, that: hospitals generally treat more acute patients, who consume more medical resources, than ASCs; that 52% of all Medicare cataract procedures were performed in ASCs, while 26% of colonoscopies were performed in ASCs; and that hospitals were shown to have consistently worse outcomes than ASCs across 17 measures, including stroke, dislocated ocular lens, vitreous loss and iris prolapse.

The AAASC release stated that, in respect to patient outcomes, the report produced by the RAND Corporation backed up the theory that specialization within ASCs enhances quality and improves outcomes. The report will likely be used as a tool for policymakers as they address issues of concern to ASCs, such as rebasing ASC facility fees, potentially eliminating the ASC procedures list, and possibly applying further restrictions on physicians' referral of patients to ASCs. The report is available for viewing at www.medpac.gov.
 

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