Ambulatory surgical centers are gaining traction in the outpatient market. ASCs continue to perform more than half of all U.S. outpatient surgical procedures, and they can expect to see greater volumes as the number of outpatient procedures increase by an estimated 15% by 2028, according to Fortune Business Insights, reports Healthcare Finance.
Over the next 10 years, surgeries are projected to grow 25% at ASCs and 18% at both hospital outpatient departments and physician offices, according to a report published this year by Sg2. The reason for the increase in ASC growth is cost, according to Kemal Erkan, chairman of the board at the American Surgery Center and CEO of United Medical, an ACO platform which he owns.
An average gallbladder surgery costs $12,000 when done at a hospital while the same procedure costs $2,200 at the surgery center, according to Erkan.
“Surgery centers are the future for reducing costs,” Erkan said. Hospitals, he believes, should focus on the more severe cases. This means insurers pay less for care, he said. More than 80% of the American Surgery Center volume is in value-based contracts.
Last year analysis by UnitedHealth Group found that payers could reduce surgical costs by upwards of 59% by directing members away from hospital settings to ASCs. Read more.
