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Ambulatory Surgery Reimbursement Update

Ambulatory Surgery Regulation Update is a weekly e-mail newsletter that offers news and stories about regulatory issues in ambulatory surgery, like certificate of need legislation and physician ownership issues, presented in a "quick-read" format. You'll also receive links to industry reports as available.

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Ambulatory Surgery Reimbursement Update

Issue 13, December 28, 2004

• Prescribe Celebrex and Bextra with caution, says FDA

  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that doctors take care to limit the number...

• SC contemplates new ASC, offers cash to Medicaid providers

  A new ambulatory surgery center (ASC) may be moving into South Carolina, according to The State...

• New technique promises to give LASIK patients a "Lift"

  A recently-introduced technique is set to make the corrective vision surgical proces LASIK safer...

Issue 12, December 21, 2004

• Moratorium to become permanent ban?

  The specialty hospital industry took another hit last week, as the Medicare Payment Advisory...

• IHI enlists healthcare organizations for patient safety initiative

  The Institute for Healthcare Improvement, (IHI) aided by organizations such as the American Medical...

• A true ’Blue’ treatment for cataracts

  Ophthalmologists who treat cataracts got good news last week, as the Food and Drug Administration...

Issue 11, December 14, 2004

• OH clinic seeks approval for new spinal surgery center

  Spinal surgery in which the patient can be home the next day? One Cincinnati-area clinic wants to...

• AMA sets new policy opposing specialty-hospital moratorium

  Last week’s semi-annual policy-making meeting of the American Medical Association resulted in...

• Facelifts to fund stem cell study in IL?

  For some people, physical appearance is a life-or-death priority. Now, one Illinois lawmaker is...

Issue 10, December 7, 2004

• ASCs in PA barred from performing some laparoscopic procedures

  Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) in Pennsylvania received word last week that they will be unable...

• Alabama insurer wants patients to wait for gastric bypass

  The debate about gastric bypass surgery and whether ASCs should be reimbursed for it continues to...

• Even with cuts, oncologist reimbursement expected to surpass costs

  Doctors who provide ambulatory cancer care and who feared Medicare cuts by the Bush administration...

Issue 9, November 30, 2004

• New Mexico legislators allow funding of new ASC

  Patients seeking treatment at Gila Regional Medical Center in New Mexico will have new options in...

• Recent cardiac surgical patients cleared for other procedures after six weeks

  Patients who’ve recently undergone cardiac procedures aren’t necessarily persona non...

• AAAASF-accredited ASCs deemed to meet Medicare standards

  Decision-makers from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of...

Issue 8, November 23, 2004

• New radio tag marks the spot for surgical patients

  The days of writing instructions or marking surgery spots on patients with ink may be coming to an...

• Proposed CMS updates could make ASCs more accessible for seniors

  The proposed changes to Medicare announced last Friday could offer America’s rapidly-growing...

• AAAHC names new board members

  On November 16, the American Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) issued a press release...

Issue 7, November 16, 2004

• Presidential election results not expected to change much for ASCs

  The recent presidential election saw most of America fiercely divided, with each individual voter...

• MedPAC report compares patient outcomes in ASCs, hospitals

  A report issued this week by The Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC) illustrate...

• NCQA earns new accreditation rights

  The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the American...

Issue 6, November 9, 2004

• MCAC study lauds successful results of bariatric surgery

  The Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee has apparently taken the recommendations of a report...

• New cancer treatment coverage plan unveiled by Medicare

  The October 19 issue of Ambulatory Surgery Regulatory Update contained a story about the proposed...

• New uterine fibroid treatment approved

  Healing through sound: high-powered sound, that is. It’s the newest advance in the treatment...

Issue 5, November 2, 2004

• MedPAC sees pros and cons to physician-owned specialty hospitals

  The preliminary results of an analysis study of physician-owned specialty hospitals conducted by...

• Pharmacist involvement with ambulatory care clinics grows

  According to new information released by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP...

• Outlook good for ASCs in NJ and SC

  Updating two stories from the Oct. 5 issue of Ambulatory Surgery Regulatory Update, there’s...

Issue 4, October 26, 2004

• ASCRS casts pale eye toward Oklahoma ruling

  In most states, optometrists examine patients’ eyes, assess any problems that might require...

• Albany Surgical challenges constitutionality of CON regulations in GA

  Albany Surgical, a six-physician general surgery practice in Albany, GA, were recently defeated in...

• Test sites sought for new ASC asessment tools

  In an attempt to better measure patient satisfaction and solicit feedback pertaining to standards...