Stryker, Zimmer shift strategies to capitalize on growing ASC market (MedTechDive)
Now that Medicare has caught up to private payers and opening up coverage policies to ambulatory surgery centers, experts see the procedure migration to ASCs accelerating.
The shift of procedures from the hospital to outpatient settings has gained momentum in recent years as commercial insurers boosted coverage and surgeons warmed to the idea of treating patients in ambulatory surgery centers.
Now that Medicare is catching up to this trend, experts expect the outpatient procedure migration to speed up with medical device companies like Stryker and Zimmer Biomet looking to capitalize on this shift, particularly in the orthopaedic space.
Bain & Company in a 2019 report, projected the percentage of hip procedures in ASCs to grow from just over 9% to 25% by the mid-2020s and knee procedures to grow from 10% to 30%.
While hospitals have opposed the moves, in part citing safety risks, Medicare seems to agree.
CMS recently finalized a Medicare rule that moved 11 services onto the ASC covered procedures list, including total hip replacements. The agency also fi...
