The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has officially recommended that Congress increase Medicare payment rates for ambulatory surgical center services by 0.6 percent in 2010 and require ASCs to submit cost and quality data to the Department of Health and Human Services "as soon as feasible."

Medpac’s analysis of ASC services and trends in the industry over the past several years shows continued growth in the number of ASCs and the number of Medicare beneficiaries served in ASCs, and a $1 billion increase in Medicare revenue for ASCs from 2002 to 2007. The commission concludes that a 0.6 percent increase in payments for ASC services would "balance several goals," including "maintaining beneficiaries’ access to ASC services and providers’ willingness and ability to furnish those services."

Meanwhile, Medpac says having ASCs submit cost and quality data would help analysts determine whether further adjustments to ASC payment rates are needed and "would allow payments to be made on the basis of the quality of care."

The full text of Medpac’s March report to Congress is available online as a PDF.

—Irene Tsikitas