The ASC Association is intensifying its efforts to win over the federal lawmakers shaping healthcare reform legislation by significantly increasing its spending on lobbying and joining forces with state associations and ASC corporations to form a new, unified advocacy group. ASCA spent $420,000 on lobbying in the first half of this year after spending $510,000 all of last year, according to a review of lobbyist data from the Center for Responsive Politics.
"What I can tell you regarding why we are spending more on advocacy this year is two-fold," says Kathy Bryant, president of the ASC Association. "With a new administration with a focus on health care, we needed to do more to represent our members. In January, our board reinforced that advocacy was our No. 1 priority. The spending reflects the priority and the activity in Washington, D.C."
Records show that thus far in 2009, ASCA has spent:
$200,000 on reform of the Medicare ASC payment system and support for HR 2049, "Ambulatory Surgery Center Access Act of 2009" and
$220,000 on reform of the Medicare ASC payment system, MedPAC Payment Update Recommendations for ASCs and health IT funding for ASCs.
Additionally, ASCA is paying the lobbying firm McManus Group a $100,000 retainer this year. Records show ASCA paid the McManus Group $200,000 last year.
Andrew Hayek, CEO of Surgical Care Affiliates and chair of the newly formed ASC Advocacy Committee, says the alliance of ASCA, state associations and ASC corporations will "provide a unified voice for the industry in Washington, D.C. — on Capitol Hill, with CMS, the administration and MedPAC." Half of the committee’s 12-member board of directors will come from ASCA, and half will come from ASC companies and other associations, with the chair of ASCA casting the tie-breaking vote on all policy matters. "We’ve tried to work together before, and I think we did to a large degree," says Mr. Hayek. "This just formalizes it." Ms. Bryant says the companies involved have committed to at least matching the funds provided by the ASC Association.
