HHS to review same-day surgery notification rule for ASCs

Medicare's same-day notification rule for ambulatory surgery centers enacted in 2009 is among a wide range of federal rules and regulations being reviewed by the Department of Health and Human Services as part of an Obama administration mandate to simplify the regulatory system. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Same-Day Services Final Rule currently requires ASCs to notify patients of their rights and of the facility's ownership before the day of surgery, except in cases when the referral for surgery is made on the same day the procedure is to be performed and when the referring physician indicates that it's medically necessary for the patient to undergo surgery that day. The ASC industry has been fighting for broader exceptions to let ASCs issue patients' rights and facility ownership notifications on the day of surgery in more cases.