Ambulatory Surgery Center Advocacy Committee Affirms Commitment to High-Quality, Patient-Centered Care in Pennsylvania

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Ambulatory Surgery Center Advocacy Committee Affirms Commitment to High-Quality, Patient-Centered Care in Pennsylvania

Washington, D.C., November, 2009 – An annual report by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PH4C) on the financial health of Pennsylvania’s Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) shows the important role that ASCs play in delivering high quality patient-centered care to the people of Pennsylvania. ASCs are a central part of the national health care system with more than 22 million procedures performed per year in more than 5,000 ASCs in the US. The report identifies 261 ASC facilities throughout the state, noting the increasing demand for their essential services.

Many procedures that used to be performed exclusively in hospitals, including knee, shoulder, eye, spine and other surgeries now take place in ASCs. ASCs are often the most cost effective solution for many medical procedures for both patients and payers, including taxpayers, and offer an enormous savings to the entire health care system. Nationally, research shows that patients experience roughly a 50 percent co-pay savings, and overall, ASCs save Medicare approximately $2 billion annually. Equally as important, patients report a 92 percent satisfaction rate in the health care services they receive in the ASC setting.

ASCs are committed to working with physicians, hospitals and other stakeholders throughout the health care delivery system to ensure that patients have the access they need to essential medical services and quality care. The PH4C report reinforces the critical role that ASCs play in providing essential surgical and preventive services to Pennsylvanians throughout the state.

About the Ambulatory Surgery Center Advocacy Committee

The Ambulatory Surgery Center Advocacy Committee (ASCAC) is a group comprised of leading ASC operators, state associations and the ASC Association working on behalf of the industry to raise awareness about the important role ASCs play within the health care system and community. For more information about ASCs, visit www.ascassociation.org.

Media Contact:
Kay Tucker, ASCA
(703) 836-8808
ktucker@ascassociation.org

Advancing Surgical Care

Ambulatory Surgery Center Advocacy Committee Affirms Commitment to High-Quality, Patient-Centered Care in Pennsylvania

About the Ambulatory Surgery Center Advocacy Committee