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1991.12.31 :  Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center Payments

Contact: Bob Hardy 202-245-6145
December 31, 1991

     HHS Secretary Louis W. Sullivan, M.D., announced today that 
Medicare payments for the services of ambulatory surgical centers
are being increased by 5.1 percent.
       The annual payment update will be applied to the eight
groups of ASC facility services. A single payment level for each
group covers the services needed to support a list of surgical
procedures.      The notice also maintains the current $200
payment rate for an intraocular lens furnished by an ASC for
cataract surgery.
       The Medicare payments to ambulatory surgical centers cover
the costs of services such as nursing, supplies, equipment and
use of the facility. Medicare is billed separately for
physicians' services furnished in an ASC.
       Ambulatory surgery is a Part B service for which Medicare
pays 80 percent of the ASC facility rate for each group and 80
percent of the physicians' fees. Ambulatory surgical centers
operate exclusively for the purpose of providing surgical
services to patients not requiring hospitalization. 
       The payment increase was announced in a notice published
today in the Federal Register. The notice also announced that
ambulatory surgical centers are appropriate settings for nearly
900 additional medical procedures that will be covered by
Medicare. Approximately 1,500 procedures are currently authorized
for Medicare coverage when performed in ASCs. 

       Among the new ASC procedures for which Medicare will pay
is extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, which is an ultrasound
treatment to destroy kidney stones. A ninth ASC payment group is
being established exclusively for this procedure.

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