For many ASC leaders, the biggest obstacle to care is skyrocketing costs driven by supply and labor shortages, as well as a 40-year inflation apex of 8.5 percent, Becker’s reports.
“The biggest enemy [to ASCs] right now is the rising cost of everything,” Amy Noble, practice administrator for the Center for Pain Control in Wyomissing, Pa. “From equipment to supplies to staffing, expenses continue to rise while reimbursements are stagnant.”
Ms. Noble told Becker’s she is running into scenarios where a box of surgical dressings can run upward of $1,000, compared to normal pricing of $200.
Other administrators are experiencing similar challenges in markets with larger providers with more leverage. Dianna Reed, administrator of Sani Eye Surgery Center in Templeton, Calif., told Becker’s her biggest obstacle is not being able to purchase supplies at a competitive price.
“It is very difficult to compete, especially during COVID-19, for personal protective equipment and supplies against large hospital surgery centers who have a larger buying power,” she said. Read more.
