Ambulatory Surgery Center Association

Advancing Ambulatory Surgery

The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) assists ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) in delivering safe, high-quality, cost-effective patient care.

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Latest News

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Does Your ASC Use Artificial Intelligence?

May 19, 2026

Tucker Receives Nap Gary Award for Lifetime Achievement

May 15, 2026

ASCA + SAMBA 2026 Celebrates Collaboration, Innovation

May 15, 2026

ASCA Benchmarking: Redesigned and Better than Ever

April 14, 2026

Education, Programs & Services

Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center

May 13–16, 2026

ASCA 2026 Conference & Expo

Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Washington, DC

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Webinar Series

Virtual Courses

Online Training Series

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ASC Administrator Development Program

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Clinical & Operational Benchmarking

Q2 Reports Available August 15

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Salary & Benefits

2025 Reports Now Available

Purchase Reports

ASC Focus Magazine

A members-only print and digital magazine for the ASC community

Digital edition sponsored by

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Finance & Accounting

HIPAA Workbook

Physician Brief

Benchmarking Basics

One World Surgery Partnership

ASCA members interested in medical mission opportunities are invited to apply for the ASCA Foundation’s scholarship program.

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Enhancing the Patient Experience

ASCA members work at the forefront of the healthcare community to advance the safety, quality and cost-effectiveness of outpatient surgery.

We know our community is making a difference and that’s why we provide the resources, education and advocacy to support this mission.

No need to visit a hospital
Medicare-certified quality
Efficient procedure scheduling and performance
Drastically reduced patient copays

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Patients Pay Less in
Surgery Centers

ASCs see reimbursement rates per procedure that are roughly half that of hospital outpatient departments (HOPD). This lower cost is passed on to the patient in the form of lower coinsurance.

Carpal Tunnel Surgery

HOPD

$

ASC

$

Cataract Removal

HOPD

$

ASC

$

Rotator Cuff Repair

HOPD

$

ASC

$

Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 2024 Procedure Price Lookup Comparison File, Carpal Tunnel Surgery (CPT® 64721), Cataract Removal (CPT® 66984), Rotator Cuff Repair (CPT® 29827)

Surgery Centers
by the Numbers

Medicare Certified ASCs¹

Single-specialty¹

Multispecialty¹

+

Operating Rooms¹

$ billion/year

Medicare program and beneficiary savings²

million/year

Total procedures performed²

million/year

Medicare procedures performed²

%

Medicare cataract surgeries performed in ASCs²

%

Medicare colonoscopies performed in ASCs²

¹Source: | Data Analysis, 2/12/2026 Ambulatory Surgery Center Industry Q4 2025 Insights Report

²Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary (PSPS) data, 2019 to 2021

Anne Haddix

Administrator

Southwest Surgical Suites

“When I first entered the ASC community, I wanted to align with an organization that advocates for our field and provides the resources and education needed to help me grow and better support my team. ASCA has been that organization.”

ASCA Connect, a Community for Surgery Center Professionals

ASCA member conversations happening now

Performing PLIF in the ASC setting

Good Morning. I am looking for some insight from other ASC's that are performing PLIFs and or TLIFs in their ASC's. We are pain management and have a surgeon who wants to perform a PLIF here in the very near future. Other than the instrumentation, ... Read more
Pediatric Discharge Criteria

Hello, I work at an ASC that mainly has adult patients, but we occasionally have pediatric patients. I am curious to see what policies other centers have in place for discharging this population. We currently follow anesthesia recommendation for length ... Read more
Workers Comp Billing Implants

Is anyone else having trouble getting workers' compensation claims billed with implants paid beginning this year, 2026? We are requesting separate reimbursement by adding a note in the remarks field "Separate reimbursement for implant to ASC" on the HCFA-1500 ... Read more
Jewelry Policy

Good Afternoon- We are a facility that performs Oculoplastics, Cornea, Cataract, Glaucoma, and Retinal procedures. We are currently reviewing and revising our jewelry policy to ensure it aligns with current best practices regarding jewelry in proximity ... Read more