Quality & Patient Safety
Contact: John Hedstrom, jhedstrom@facs.orgACS Joins Other Organizations Advocating for Prevention of Drug Shortages (705K PDF) 3/16/12
ACS Supports ASC Quality and Access Act of 2011 (S. 1173, H.R. 2108)
On June 22, ACS Executive Director, David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS expressed the College’s support for the Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality and Access (ASCQA) Act of 2011 (S. 1173, H.R. 2108). Dr. Hoyt expressed support for the ASCQA Act in letters to the bill’s bipartisan Senate and House sponsors—Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), and Rep. John Larson (D-CT). Despite the fact that ASCs and HOPDs provide the same surgical services, Medicare reimburses ASCs at only 56% of the amount paid to HOPDs for identical services. To preserve access to ASCs and to address this growing inequity, the ASCQA Act would update future Medicare payments to ASCs using the same market basket update—which measures growth in health care costs—that is used to update Medicare payments to HOPDs. The legislation also promotes high quality care by establishing quality reporting and by implementing a value-based purchasing (VBP) program for ASCs.
View the House letter (165K PDF)
View the Senate letter (165K PDF)
Revised March 20, 2012