ARTICLE SUMMARY:
Recent CMS reimbursement changes that favor migration of many common musculoskeletal procedures to outpatient settings and remove hurdles for their uptake by ambulatory surgery centers are likely to lead to new alliances among hospitals, ASCs, and surgeons, with implications for implant vendors.
2021 is shaping up to be a big year for migrating many musculoskeletal (MSK) procedures from hospitals to the outpatient (HOPD) and ambulatory surgery center (ASC) settings.
Many hospital surgery service lines have successfully migrated common procedures to outpatient settings over the past 40 years, starting with ophthalmology, gastroenterology, and ENT. Technology advances, favorable reimbursement, and changes in ASC and hospital ownership structures have aligned to encourage this trend.
