Digital Debut

Left: Representative John Rutherford (R-FL), second from right, joins ASC staff during a National ASC Month facility tour of Durbin Crossing Endoscopy Center in St. Johns, Florida.

Representative Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), center, visits Walnut Creek Endoscopy and Surgery Center in Walnut Creek, California, for a facility tour.

National ASC Month in Review

ASCA members advocated for the ASC community and raised awareness of surgery centers to the public

BY MAIA KUNKEL | OCTOBER 3, 2025

In August, ASCs across the country celebrated National ASC Month to highlight the high-quality, cost-effective surgical care that surgery centers provide to their patients and communities. ASC staff promoted awareness of their work by educating key policymakers and the public about the many benefits ASCs provide. To celebrate, ASCA members sent 259 letters in support of the Medicare Beneficiary Co-Pay Fairness Act (H.R. 3006/S. 1776), downloaded special banners to recognize the month and hosted facility tours for their members of Congress and their staff. ASCA members also helped gain further congressional support for ASCs in Congress. In August, Representatives Deborah Ross (D-NC) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) joined the bill as cosponsors.

Facility Tours

Facility tours aim to educate members of Congress, other lawmakers and their staff about the essential role surgery centers play in healthcare and their communities. The tours also educate attendees about the issues currently impeding ASCs to provide care. In total, ASCA members hosted eight tours during National ASC Month for members of Congress in the House of Representatives, Senate and for state-level lawmakers.

Lawmakers across the political spectrum were eager to learn more about the ASCs in their districts and states and the surgical care that the more than 6,500 surgery centers provide to millions of patients each year. During the tours, ASC staff had discussions surrounding the realities of delivering care in their communities and the challenges and concerns facing ASCs. In addition, the tours provided an opportunity to discuss key federal policy priorities, including the Medicare Beneficiary Co-Pay Fairness Act.

Medicare Beneficiary Co-Pay Fairness Act

Earlier this year, both chambers of Congress introduced the Medicare Beneficiary Co-Pay Fairness Act. This important legislation seeks to increase Medicare beneficiaries’ access to ASCs by eliminating the copay penalty for certain Part B services when they are provided in an ASC. Medicare beneficiaries treated in either an ASC or hospital outpatient department (HOPD) are typically responsible for 20 percent of their cost of care. However, in HOPDs this 20 percent copay is capped at the inpatient hospital deductible amount ($1,676 in 2025), while there is no copay cap at ASCs. This results in higher out-of-pocket costs for beneficiaries seeking treatment in an ASC for approximately 183 procedures.

This policy incentivizes beneficiaries to choose the higher-cost HOPD setting, despite the savings generated for Medicare when beneficiaries choose an ASC. Applying the existing copay cap to ASCs would reduce Medicare costs, provide greater access to care and eliminate situations where out-of-pocket costs for beneficiaries treated in an ASC are higher than for beneficiaries treated in HOPDs.

Next Steps

While National ASC Month has ended, ASCA continues to advocate for ASCs and the Medicare Beneficiary Co-Pay Fairness Act. You can help gain further support for this legislation by using ASCA’s template letters to reach out to your members of Congress and urge them to become a cosponsor.

ASCA members interested in hosting a facility tour for their members of Congress can complete the Facility Tour Interest Form or visit ASCA’s facility tour webpage for more information.

Write Maia Kunkel, ASCA’s Government Affairs manager, at mkunkel@ascassociation.org with questions.