REGULAR CONTENT
Final ID
643
Type
Educational Exhibit-Poster Only
Authors
C Harnain1, P Gerard2, K Golden2
Institutions
1New York Medical College- Westchester Medical Center, New York, NY, 2New York Medical College- Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY
Purpose
To define what an Interventional Radiology Ambulatory Surgery Center is and explain the reasoning behind a growing trend of IRs shifting procedures from the hospital to a free standing ambulatory center, especially during the current transition of IR to a standalone specialty.Understand why insurers are pushing for cases to be moved from the hospital to ambulatory centers and explore the cost savings across the board by making this push. Learn about existing and upcoming surgical CPT codes for IR, enabling an ambulatory surgical center to bill and collect outpatient IR surgical facility fees. Identify barriers and conflicts to the development of such Ambulatory Surgery centers.
Materials & Methods
In the past, ownership of imaging centers was lucrative for radiologists. The technical reimbursement radiologists received quickly declined to the point that ownership led to red bottom lines. However, in regards to an IR ambulatory surgery center, reimbursement is based on a CPT coded facility fee.Insurers favor the idea of procedures being performed in such a center as opposed to a hospital setting due to the significant cost savings. IRs belonging to a center can benefit from a facility fee in addition to a professional fee. Additionally, with the transition of IR to its own specialty, an ambulatory center will help further define the field and expand the referral base.
Results
Until recently, IR has often been viewed as a service rather than a specialty. This has resulted in an artificial cap on referrals from other specialties. With the advent of an ambulatory center and the growing scope of facility fee reimbursements, the range of referral sources broadens significantly, as the center contributes to the fact that IR is a standalone specialty. Forward development of these centers also comes with barriers and conflicts. Competition from the hospital is the easiest to perceive. Additionally legal issues such as accreditation and compliance also come into play.
Conclusions
As IR continues to grow, the creation of IR ambulatory surgical centers will result in overall health care cost savings, bring in more revenue to IRs, and help continue solidify IR as its own specialty.
Final ID
643
Type
Educational Exhibit-Poster Only
Authors
C Harnain1, P Gerard2, K Golden2
Institutions
1New York Medical College- Westchester Medical Center, New York, NY, 2New York Medical College- Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY
Purpose
To define what an Interventional Radiology Ambulatory Surgery Center is and explain the reasoning behind a growing trend of IRs shifting procedures from the hospital to a free standing ambulatory center, especially during the current transition of IR to a standalone specialty.Understand why insurers are pushing for cases to be moved from the hospital to ambulatory centers and explore the cost savings across the board by making this push. Learn about existing and upcoming surgical CPT codes for IR, enabling an ambulatory surgical center to bill and collect outpatient IR surgical facility fees. Identify barriers and conflicts to the development of such Ambulatory Surgery centers.
Materials & Methods
In the past, ownership of imaging centers was lucrative for radiologists. The technical reimbursement radiologists received quickly declined to the point that ownership led to red bottom lines. However, in regards to an IR ambulatory surgery center, reimbursement is based on a CPT coded facility fee.Insurers favor the idea of procedures being performed in such a center as opposed to a hospital setting due to the significant cost savings. IRs belonging to a center can benefit from a facility fee in addition to a professional fee. Additionally, with the transition of IR to its own specialty, an ambulatory center will help further define the field and expand the referral base.
Results
Until recently, IR has often been viewed as a service rather than a specialty. This has resulted in an artificial cap on referrals from other specialties. With the advent of an ambulatory center and the growing scope of facility fee reimbursements, the range of referral sources broadens significantly, as the center contributes to the fact that IR is a standalone specialty. Forward development of these centers also comes with barriers and conflicts. Competition from the hospital is the easiest to perceive. Additionally legal issues such as accreditation and compliance also come into play.
Conclusions
As IR continues to grow, the creation of IR ambulatory surgical centers will result in overall health care cost savings, bring in more revenue to IRs, and help continue solidify IR as its own specialty.