The expansion of consumer choices among healthcare facilities has brought many things to the marketplace: surgical decisions that offer convenience at lower costs, localized competition among providers, and integrated treatment options closer to the home of many patients. Missouri’s ambulatory surgery centers, lead by physicians and their staffs, however, should not rest on this notable success. A positive business climate that enables and empowers citizens to select different venues for healthcare procedures is not always a guarantee in a highly-regulated environment.
Sometimes, leaders can become an unwilling victim of their success, especially in tough budget times in the economy. It was less than five years ago that some states like New Jersey imposed additional fees, gross receipts taxes, and additional costs of licensure. Back-door levy threats via state & local authorities on the cost to deliver ambulatory care are likely to increase as state appropriators seek to balance their state deficit budgets. These periods of high awareness to health reform can remind every center of the importance of making your local business voice heard among your community.
The underlying business model of most centers represents the future of healthcare at its best: local, direct decisions convenient to citizens, appropriately-scaled to relative risks, offered in a flexible, lower-cost setting. In the field of public policy, sometimes the best defense to maintain this climate is having a strong offense.
