Rand Recommends Keeping ASC Inpatient Payment Rules

By Greg JonesWestern Bureau ChiefThe current practice of providers obtaining prior approval before performing inpatient procedures in an ambulatory surgery center should be maintained, but California regulators could borrow ideas from other jurisdictions to strengthen protections for patients, according to a study by the Rand Center for Health and Safety in the Workplace.The study, which was mandated by Senate Bill 863, drew sharp criticism from the California Ambulatory Surgery Association, which said through a lobbyist that it is disappointed that Rand and the Division of Workers’ Comp...