Digital Debut
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From left: David Opong-Wadee, ASCA manager of legislative and political affairs; Senator Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA); Bill Prentice, ASCA chief executive officer; Adam Hornback, administrator, North Texas Team Care Surgery Center; Akshay Tavkar, senior director, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic; and Stephanie Nelson, group marketing manager, alternate site markets, Medline, on Capitol Hill during National Advocacy Day.
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From left: David Opong-Wadee, ASCA manager of legislative and political affairs; Senator Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA); Bill Prentice, ASCA chief executive officer; Adam Hornback, administrator, North Texas Team Care Surgery Center; Akshay Tavkar, senior director, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic; and Stephanie Nelson, group marketing manager, alternate site markets, Medline, on Capitol Hill during National Advocacy Day.
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ASCA Members Make National Advocacy Day a Success
Participants meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to advocate for the ASC community
BY MAIA KUNKEL | MARCH 7, 2024
From February 26–28, ASCA members traveled from 28 states to Washington, DC, to participate in this year’s National Advocacy Day. In total, 76 ASCA members met with 161 members of Congress and their staff to educate them on ASCs and to urge them to support the Outpatient Surgery Quality and Access Act of 2023.
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From left: Melissa Maguran, administrator, Great Lakes Surgical Center; Jessica Rodriguez, executive director, OAM Surgery Center at Midtowne; Senator Mike Braun (R-IN); Dean Lehmkuhler, administrator, Northside Gastroenterology Endoscopy Center; and Kim Brown, ASC director, OSMC Outpatient Surgery Center and The Surgery Center of Granger, on Capitol Hill during National Advocacy Day.
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National Advocacy Day presents an opportunity for ASC professionals to meet with their members of Congress and their staff to discuss the issues that are affecting their ability to provide care. It also allows participants to build lasting relationships with their lawmakers and help secure further support for the surgery center community in Congress. Ahead of the congressional meetings, ASCA staff reviews current ASC legislation with participants and offers tips on how to conduct a successful meeting through informational materials, a virtual training session and an on-site briefing. Additionally, ASCA staff schedules meetings for each participant.
Representatives Brad Wenstrup, DPM (R-OH), and John Larson (D-CT) and Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA), introduced the Outpatient Surgery Quality and Access Act of 2023 in both chambers of Congress in February 2023. Since its introduction, support has grown for the bill and its cosponsors now include physician lawmakers Larry Bucshon (R-IN), Michael Burgess (R-TX), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) and Greg Murphy (R-NC), among others.
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From left: Alex Blair, director of operations, Amsurg; David Opong-Wadee, ASCA manager of legislative and political affairs; Senator Katie Britt (R-AL); and Brandon Hollis, vice president, musculoskeletal operations, Amsurg, on Capitol Hill during National Advocacy Day.
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If enacted, this crucial legislation will slow the widening disparity in Medicare payments between ASCs and hospital outpatient departments by making the hospital market basket the inflationary update factor permanently; add transparency and accessibility for patients trying to research quality metrics; require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to disclose the reasons procedures are denied reimbursement in the ASC setting; and add an ASC voice to the Advisory Panel on Hospital Outpatient Payment. Meetings during National Advocacy Day have proven to have a direct impact on gaining new ASC supporters in Congress. Following last year’s National Advocacy Day, three lawmakers signed on to the bill after meeting with constituents.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s National Advocacy Day a success. Your voice has never been more important to help secure the continued success of ASCs across the country.
How to Get Involved
If you were unable to attend National Advocacy Day or if you would like to help garner further support for the Outpatient Surgery Quality and Access Act, ASCA’s template letters are available to help you write your members of Congress. Additionally, if you would like to invite your members of Congress and their staff to attend a tour of your ASC, sign up to participate in ASCA’s Facility Tour Program.
For more information write Maia Kunkel, ASCA’s Government Affairs manager, at mkunkel@ascassociation.org.