In this episode, host Erik welcomes back Bill Prentice, President of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA). Bill shares exciting updates on ASCA’s initiatives, including their decision to make all virtual education free for members.
The conversation explores ASCA’s key priorities for 2025, including advocating for expanded Medicare-approved procedures, refining quality reporting measures, and improving reimbursement rates that better reflect the value ASCs provide to the healthcare system. Bill also discusses how the new Trump administration presents fresh opportunities for ASC advocacy and cost-efficient healthcare delivery.
Click to expand and read this episode's transcript.
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Erik Sunset: All right. Hello and welcome back. I’m your host of the DocBuddy Journal, Erik. And today we’re joined once again by Bill Prentice. Bill of course is the president of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association. You might know it better as ASCA. Bill, thanks so much for coming back.
Bill Prentice: Erik, pleased to be here. Thanks.
Erik Sunset: Well, the last time we spoke was in, uh, 2023 in the lead up to that ASCA annual conference. I know a lot has changed for ASCA in the time since. I’m hoping you can give us a rundown of some of the key wins or some of the key initiatives that ASCA concluded in 2024.
Bill Prentice: Sure. Uh, well, when I think back on last year, I think one of the biggest changes we made at ASCA was kind of an internal one, which was the decision that the ASCA board made, uh, to make all of our virtual education free. Um, it’s something that was, you know, afforded to our members at a reduced cost, um, but we decided that the education and training that ASCA provides was so important that [00:01:00] all of those virtual sessions, so all of our webinars and virtual seminars starting this year are now free to members, which I think is an extraordinary benefit, um, and something that we’ve gotten really, um, Excellent feedback from so when I think back on last year, I think that’s certainly a sentinel event, something that we’re very proud of.
Bill Prentice: Um, we’ve already seen dramatically improved attendance at our sessions as a result of that. Um, and, uh, and obviously, I think that’s going to carry forward to our annual conference where there, of course, there still is a registration fee, but, um, we think that, uh, there’s gonna be a lot of interest in that conference.
Bill Prentice: Uh, From a legislative and regulatory standpoint, last year was kind of quiet in a lot of ways. I think we were a bit disappointed, uh, that, uh, the Medicare program didn’t expand the number of procedures, the types of procedures that surgery centers can perform a Medicare beneficiaries. Um, you know, we had some high hopes to get some additional procedures, um, that [00:02:00] didn’t come to fruition.
Bill Prentice: However, I think we’re pretty bullish about this year. Um, so when we get to talking about 2025, I think I can hit on some things that we’re, we’re really looking forward to.
Erik Sunset: Yeah, you know, that’s a, that’s a great segue. I’d love to hear both what ASCA has on the front burner for, for the year for 2025 and sort of tied into that is the CMS 2025 final payment schedule that was released in November. Uh, or there abouts, um, I’m sure, I’m sure the two are interrelated to an extent, but I would love your thoughts on, on the,
Bill Prentice: Yeah, well, uh, to, to that point, we’re already at work trying to educate CMS on the things that we would like to see them do this year. Obviously, we’re with an entirely new administration, you know, a big change, obviously, from last year. Uh, from Mr. Biden to now, Mr. Trump, we obviously have experience because of the prior Trump administration to kind of have a sense, you know, of course, there’ll be different people in those leadership roles, but kind of just [00:03:00] a sense of what might resonate with them based upon that prior administration.
Bill Prentice: Uh, so we’re doing something we haven’t done before is we’re actually going to send, uh, you know, They say our wish list of things that we’d like to see them do in the next week or so so well ahead of when our proposed rule would come out, which is generally around the 4th of July. So rather than wait until that proposal comes out and respond to it, we’re trying to actually.
Bill Prentice: You know, seed them with some ideas of things that, you know, we think are high priorities for the AAC community and which would really better care, you know, benefit Medicare patients. Um, and so when I think of those things, you know, first and foremost, obviously is getting additional procedures onto our payable list.
Bill Prentice: Um, so whether it’s cardiac procedures, spine procedures, we know that there’s a lot of things that surgery centers are performing on commercial patients that Medicare beneficiaries would also benefit from. Um, so we’re [00:04:00] really hoping to, to get, uh, those procedures added this year. And again, based upon our prior experience, we think that this administration will be more open to adding some, if not all of those procedures.
Bill Prentice: Um, The other thing I think is that’s going to be a big focus for us is over the past few years, our quality reporting program has started to get larded with measures that we don’t think really benefit, um, surgery centers or patients. We don’t think they’re really measures. of quality and patient safety.
Bill Prentice: And, um, I think, you know, the time has come to try and kind of pair those back and really, you know, just add to our program measures that have been for one tested in our setting. And that’s another problem that we’ve had is recently measures have been added that may have been tested in hospitals or somewhere else, but have not been tested and proven to be, you know, of importance in the surgery center setting.
Bill Prentice: And we’d like to see that done away with. And really get back to, to adding into our program measures that would really benefit [00:05:00] patients, um, by showing that, you know, we are a safe, high quality set of service. So those are two of our priorities. And then thirdly, and this is applies to obviously every Medicare provider, is we’d like to see better reimbursement.
Bill Prentice: We obviously think that the, the delta between what we’re being reimbursed versus other settings for what we do. needs to change. Um, I think we provide great value to the Medicare system and, and the more, um, the more Medicare can do to incentivize surgery centers to take more Medicare business, it saves the system billions and billions of dollars.
Bill Prentice: So if they can try and incentivize us by just paying us a bit better for the things that we do and we do very well, uh, we think the Medicare program, um, the taxpayer and the Medicare beneficiary are all going to benefit.
Erik Sunset: you took the words out of my mouth there, and certainly wouldn’t want you to tip your hand with the communications going out to Washington, but obviously efficiency is, uh, very much in the news right now with some of the budgetary items, [00:06:00] uh, being double checked, it seems that the ASC is right for the same type of treatment, but maybe going the other way that you have this highly efficient place of service.
Erik Sunset: Better for patients, better for cost, better for the system overall. I would imagine that plays a role in some of your
Bill Prentice: It absolutely does. I mean, we know that there is a real big appetite to create budget savings, particularly because I think there’s an interest in obviously doing some tax cuts this year from the administration. And I think, you know, we’re going to be able to show the administration. that there are some very simple things they can do that, you know, are gonna drive volume to the surgery center setting, save that program billions of dollars, and free those up for obviously other purposes, and it’s not gonna be.
Bill Prentice: Anything dramatic is not going to be a serious shift in policy to, to create those savings. So it’s a very simple things that, you know, we’ve been asking for for years and we’re hoping that finally, uh, we’re going to be dealing with an administration that is [00:07:00] interested and has an appetite for doing those things.
Erik Sunset: Well, that’s wonderful. I know that’ll be an education for many in Washington. The last time we spoke, the ASC the best kept secret in, in healthcare. If you’re not in the, in the circle of trust, so to speak, then maybe you wouldn’t be so familiar with the surgery center. Um, and I know advocacy for that place of service was a key initiative back in 2023 for you.
Erik Sunset: I’d imagine that’s continuing.
Bill Prentice: it is every year and, and really important element to that is that we need everybody in the ASC community, whether it’s, you know, our, you know, the ASCs themselves, um, you know, vendors, you know, everyone who has, who benefits from the fact that, you know, we’re a great set of service, uh, to be engaged in that advocacy.
Bill Prentice: And so we have lots of ways for people to do that, you know, hosting, um, site visits in their surgery center with their lawmakers, whether federal or state. Coming to Washington for a fly in, which is going to be held this coming fall. But, you know, we really need to, you know, all work together to educate our lawmakers and policymakers [00:08:00] about the value that the Surgery Center model brings to our health care system.
Bill Prentice: Because obviously there’s a lot of competing interest out there. But if we can get their focus, I think we can show them that, you know, we are a solution to the rising cost of health care. Um, and to the problems that people have with availability of health care.
Erik Sunset: That’s right. So that, that’s a critical piece of education going out to Washington. We opened the show by talking about all of the now free resources available from ASCA in terms of education, but still the epicenter for surgery center education really is the ASCA annual conference. And this year it’s in Denver, Colorado, April 30th through May third.
Erik Sunset: Of course, we’ll have a link to more information to that event in the show notes. What are some reasons folks would be excited about, uh, heading out west for this year’s ASCA,
Bill Prentice: Well, sure. Well, for the first thing, as you mentioned, West, this will be the furthest West we’ve been in my tenure at ASCA. So we’re talking about 15 years. So I think [00:09:00] we’re going to be at a new location, the brand new Gaylord Rockies in Aurora, Colorado, right outside of Denver. Um, very conveniently located near the Denver airport.
Bill Prentice: It’s only about a 10, 15 minute, uh, commute from the airport to, to the Gaylord. It’s brand spanking new. Um, it’s, uh, unlike some of the older Gaylords where you feel like you’re walking through like a forest or a jungle when you get, yeah, you know, through, uh, uh, the front desk, uh, you don’t have that at this, uh, this property.
Bill Prentice: It’s really convenient. Um, lots of great, you know, food options. Uh, we have a great conference scheduled. We have great sessions. One of the things I think we’re really excited about is we have a day and a half of infection prevention education, which we know is so critically important, um, for our members and for, for patients.
Bill Prentice: Uh, so we’re really excited about that. Another thing that we’re, we’re really highlighting is, you know, we’ve got a lot of feedback in recent years about people really enjoying panel discussions [00:10:00] rather than just having a lecturer. So we have seeded this meeting with a lot of panel discussions that are going to allow for a lot of conversation, um, and I think it could be really effective in terms of helping people to get the education they need.
Bill Prentice: keynote session. We’ve got, um, Melissa Stockwell, who’s actually a Paralympian. Um, from, uh, Colorado herself, I believe she was the first female, uh, to lose a limb as a soldier in the Iraq war, um, has an amazing story to tell obviously about that and about her successful athletic career. She’s, uh, competed in the Paralympics as a swimmer and a triathlete.
Bill Prentice: She’s still a really engaged and motivated triathlete. Um, I think she’s gonna be really, uh, an interesting speaker and very, very motivational. Uh, and then, of course, we also, you know, kind of cap our meeting with an amazing social event on Friday night. That’s usually a lot of fun, a lot of singing, dancing, [00:11:00] a lot of camaraderie, a lot of opportunity for people to to meet colleagues from around the country.
Bill Prentice: So we’re really excited about the meeting, and I’m very excited to report that, uh, That I think this meeting is really resonating with our members. Um, our registrations are way ahead of pace from last year. Um, and as I said, being at the furthest West we’ve been, I’m really hoping that that folks from the West Coast who may be a little less eager to come to our conferences when they’re on the East side of the country will be motivated to come and experience ASCA 2025 because it’s going to be an amazing event.
Erik Sunset: Flying into Denver, that’s about as easy as it gets from anywhere in the country. The Gaylord, gorgeous new facility, and it is just a very short ride from the airport. Going to be an impactful event. Once again, Bill, I want to thank you for your time. Hopefully we didn’t gloss over anything. Um, know you’re a busy guy.
Erik Sunset: So thank you so much for joining the DocBuddy
Bill Prentice: Well, Erik, we could talk all day about all the things that we’re up to at ASCA, but I don’t think you want to do that. [00:12:00] Um, I very much appreciate this opportunity to spend a few minutes with you and talk about some of the good things that we’re doing. And hopefully I’ll see you and and on all the listeners in in Denver at ASCA 2025.
Erik Sunset: be there. We’ll get a link to the event in the show notes. And with that, we’ll talk to you again next
Bill Prentice: right, thanks.
Erik Sunset: Bill.