February 18, 2008 - More than 100 ASC advocates from across the country made visits to nearly 90 Congressional offices last week as part of the ASC Association's 2008 Legislative & Compliance Seminar in Washington, D.C.
Some at the seminar found that their elected officials were still unfamiliar with ASCs and needed basic information on the benefits ASCs offer. Others responded to already well-informed legislators and staff on questions related to topics like the Medicare ASC payment reform legislation currently pending in Congress, the ASC payment freeze and cuts included in the proposed 2008 budget issued by President George W. Bush recently and proposed changes in the Conditions for Coverage now being considered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)—changes that could affect everything from the way ASCs manage their infection control programs to whether or not ASCs in some states can continue to offer extended recovery care to non-Medicare patients and still provide services to Medicare patients.
Seminar participants also heard from nationally known experts on a variety of ASC regulatory and management topics, including:
- rafting insurance contracts that protect your ASC
- the new Medicare ASC payment system that went into effect Jan. 1, 2008
- new transparency initiatives in Missouri
- the recent court decision involving physician referrals to ASCs in New Jersey
- recent interpretations of the Stark law
For more information: www.ascassociation.org