Legislative changes within the healthcare industry have allowed patients to take charge of their health insurance and care. With an influx of patients seeking affordable, customer-oriented healthcare options comes a potential increase in physician referrals to outpatient surgery centers.
Panelists at the 20th Annual Surgery Centers Conference explored this concept along with many others. The industry experts also predicted significant opportunities for spine doctors who specialize in discectomies and fusions and work in an outpatient surgery setting. Regardless, there are plenty of challenges ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) face that should be addressed if the practice wants to survive and thrive.
Dr. Mark Giovanini of NeuroMicroSpine follows current ASC industry trends and predications, and is optimistic about what the future holds for this unique practice. 
According to an article published by Becker’s ASC Review, ASC industry advocates are fighting to demonstrate surgery centers value and these individuals want to create better opportunities for ASCs so that patients can also see the value.
Physicians and medical professionals throughout the nation are facing the federal governments uncertainty about ASCs, which is a challenge considering ASCs continually prove to be safe, cost-effective alternatives to hospitals.
The Becker’s ASC Review article also addressed the declining reimbursement rate from Medicare for ASCs. “ASCs now receive 58 cents per every dollar that hospitals receive,” the article’s reporter, Carrie Pallardy, wrote. “Yet, ASCs are poised to save Medicare $57.6 billion over the next decade.”
Despite setbacks, the future of ASCs looks promising. Medical practitioners are working diligently to overcome some of the concerns, and the public and government is being to notice.
As mentioned in the Safety and Efficacy of Outpatient Spine Surgery blog, ASCs are designed with the patient in mind and allow surgeons to work efficiently, which provides patients with the best possible experiences and surgical outcomes.
For more information on minimally invasive spine surgery or to make an appointment with Dr. Giovanini, please call (850) 934-7545 or visit http://www.neuromicrospine.com/request-appointment. We hope to see you soon!
The advice and information contained in this article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.
© NeuroMicroSpine, 2014
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