title: Freestanding ambulatory surgery: cost-containment winner?
abstract: In many states, freestanding, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are being permitted to provide overnight, postoperative recovery and observation services. As a result, ASCs are now able to perform surgical procedures that were once the exclusive province of hospital-based outpatient surgery departments. As an analysis of data gathered in Florida and North Carolina illustrates, freestanding ASCs usually have lower charges than their hospital-based counterparts. This finding suggests that hospitals will have to take steps to control their ambulatory surgery costs if they want to compete successfully in the race for ambulatory surgery dollars.
authors.affiliation: Florida Public Health Information Center, Tampa.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wolfson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Levin
mesh_terms: D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000191:economics*; D054598:Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance Plans; D003363:Cost Control / Q000379:methods; D003625:Data Collection; D004465:Economic Competition / Q000639:trends; D005249:Fees and Charges / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005377:Financial Management, Hospital; D005431:Florida; D009657:North Carolina; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000191:economics*; D011357:Product Line Management / Q000191:economics; D013531:Surgicenters / Q000191:economics* / Q000639:trends