PHC4 | Financial Analysis 2012 | Volume Two

Financial Analysis 2012 - Volume Two - News Release

Contact: Paul Hambke, Press Secretary
717-232-6787 ext. 1119 or

NUMBER OF AMBULATORY SURGERY CENTERS INCREASES

Harrisburg, PA - November 1, 2013 - The number of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) in Pennsylvania increased by 3.7% during Fiscal Year 2012 (FY12) and financial margins at ASCs increased, according to a new report from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4).

The report shows that during FY12:

The number of ASCs grew by 10 to 281,
The average operating margin among ASCs increased from 24.94% to 25.83% and
The total margin rose from 25.12% to 27.01%.

“The financial margins for Pennsylvania’s ambulatory surgery centers continued to increase in FY12,” said Joe Martin, executive director of PHC4. “The number of ASCs also continued to grow, although not as rapidly as during the last decade.”

Other highlights of the FY12 Volume Two report:

ASCs reported 1.1 million outpatient visits and $1.1 billion in net outpatient revenue during FY12.
The number of procedures at ASCs increased 0.7% in FY12.
Commercial health insurance plans covered 51.4% of outpatient procedures at ASCs during FY12.

PHC4’s report on ASCs is the second in its three-part Financial Analysis series. Volume One, released in May, reported on the financial health of general acute care hospitals. Volume Three, to be released later this year, will focus on non-general acute care hospitals (rehabilitation, psychiatric, long-term acute care and specialty hospitals).

An ASC is a facility licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health that provides specialty or multi-specialty surgical care to patients who do not require overnight hospitalization, but require medical supervision following a procedure. Operating margin is the ratio of operating income to total operating revenue. Total margin is the ratio of total income to total revenue.

PHC4 is an independent state agency charged with collecting, analyzing and reporting information that can be used to improve the quality and restrain the cost of health care in Pennsylvania. Copies of Financial Analysis 2012, Volume Two, are free and available from PHC4’s website at http://www.phc4.org.