ASCs add considerable value to the US economy, with a 2009 total nationwide economic impact of $90 billion, including more than $5.8 billion in tax payments. Additionally, ASCs employ the equivalent of approximately 117,700 full-time workers.1
Small Businesses in Your Community
ASCs, sometimes called surgicenters, are usually small businesses owned by members of their community. In fact, 69% of ASCs have 20 or fewer employees. These small, community-based businesses benefit their communities, not only by providing access to reasonably priced surgical care, but also by contributing to the local property and income tax bases and providing services and contributions to community charities.
ASCs also make significant contributions to their communities as family-friendly employers that usually offer good health and retirement benefits and often offer flexible work schedules to their employees.
Medicare Cost Savings
Not only are ASCs focused on ensuring that patients have the best surgical experience possible, they also provide cost-effective care that save the government, third party payors and patients money. On average, the Medicare program and its beneficiaries share in more than $2.3 billion in savings each year because the program pays significantly less for procedures performed in ASCs when compared to the rates paid to hospitals for the same procedures. Accordingly, patient co-pays are also significantly lower when care is received in an ASC.
Click here to learn more about the cost savings that ASCs provide.
1 Oxford Outcomes ASC Impact Analysis, 2010.