WISCA works closely with our national association partner – the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) – on advocacy and other issues important to our members. In fact, the WISCA Government Affairs Team joins a national ASCA state chapter call twice a month for a federal regulatory and legislative briefing and closely follows their published Government Affairs Updates. Here is the latest federal government affairs news from ASCA:

Price Transparency Legislation

On July 26, the US House Ways & Means Committee voted to send H.R. 4822, the Health Care Price Transparency Act of 2023, to the House floor. The legislation, which was introduced on July 24, impacts various healthcare providers and would require ASCs to compile and make public, including:

·         Standard charges for each item and service furnished by the ASC.

·         Information on the facility’s prices for as many of the CMS-specified shoppable services that are furnished by the ASC, and additional ASC-selected shoppable services, as may be necessary for a combined total of at least 300 shoppable services.

·         An indication that a service is not furnished by the ASC for each CMS-specified shoppable service that is not furnished.

This legislation allows CMS to issue penalties of $300 per day for noncompliance. ASCA has been working closely with Ways & Means and Energy and Commerce committee staff to improve the legislation and has already successfully pushed back the effective date in the bill to 2028 from 2026, as originally proposed. In addition, ASCA got language removed that would have provided the secretary of the US Department of Health & Human Services broad discretion to require ASCs to submit “any additional information specified by the Secretary.” ASCA staff and lobbyists will continue to work with members of Congress over the August recess to reduce burdens on facilities and try to ensure that any price transparency legislation enacted would benefit patients and the general public.