Ambulatory Surgery Centers Prep
Questions and Answers Updated
2026
WhatAareAtheAoriginsAofAtheAASCAphenomenon?A-
AAnswerAPhysiciansAhaveAledAtheAdevelopmentAofAASCs.A30AyearsAago,Avirtual
lyAallAsurgeryAwasAperformedAinAhospitals.AWaitsAforAweeksAandAmonthsAwer
eAnotAuncommon.
WhenAandAwhereAdidAASCAoriginate?A-
AAnswerAFirstAASCAopenedAinA1970AbyAtwoAphysiciansAinAPhoenix,AAZ.
WhoAwereAtheAASCAfounders?AIsAthereAanyAsignificanceAtoAtheAkindsAofApeopl
eAwhoAstartedAit?A-AAnswerAtwoAphysiciansAwhoAsawAanAopportunity
toAestablishAaAhigh-quality,Acost-effectiveAalternativeAtoAinpatient
hospitalAcareAforAsurgicalAservices.
DescribeAtheAeconomicAfactorsAthatAmotivatedAtheAASCAmovement.A-
AAnswerAFacedAwithAfrustrationsAlike
schedulingAdelays,AlimitedAoperatingAroomAavailability,Aand
challengesAinAobtainingAnewAequipmentAdueAtoAhospitalAbudgets
andApolicies,AphysiciansAwereAlookingAforAaAbetterAwayA-Aand
developedAitAinAASCs.
3.ADescribeAtheAnon-economicAfactorsAthatAmotivatedAtheAASCAmovement.A-
AAnswerAPhysiciansAgainAtheAopportunityAtoAhaveAmoreAdirectAcontrolAoverAsu
rgicalApractices.ASchedulingAproceduresAmoreAconveniently,AassembleAbetterAqua
lityAandAskilledAteamAmembers,AensureAequipmentAandAsuppliesAareAbestAsuit
edAtoAtheirAtechnique.AAUTONOMYAoverAtheirAworkAenvironmentAandAqualityAo
fAcare.
4.AWhatAbenefitsAorAadvantagesAdoesAaApatientAderiveAfromAbeingAtreatedAin
AanAASC?A-AAnswerA-disclosureAofApricingAinformation
, -TechnologicalAadvancement:AfasterAactingAanesthetics,AlessAinvasiveAtechniques
-moreAaffordableAwithAfreeAstanding,AbecauseAFS-
ASCAaren'tAallowedAtoAmarkupAsurgicalAimplants
5.ABrieflyAdescribeAtheAconditionsAofAparticipationA(stateAregulations)AthatAgove
rnAtheAestablishmentAandAlicensingAofAanAASC.A-
AAnswerAASCAcannotAbeA"inside"AaAphysician'sAoffice.AMustAhaveAseparateAen
tranceAandAwaitingAarea.A
ASCAareAnotAlicensedAforAinpatientAbeds.ANoAlongerAthanA23Ahours.ATransferA
agreementArequired.
6.AMustAanAASCAbeAcertified?AHowAdoesAthatAhappen?A-
AAnswerAMustAbeA"certified"AbyAMedicareAtoAperformAcasesAforAMedicareApati
ents.A85%AofAASCsAareAMedicareAcertified.A42AstatesArequireAlicensing,AandA1
/4AofAASCsAareAaccreditedAbyAoneAofA4AaccreditingAbodiesA(ASF,AASCA,AJointA
Commission,AAAAforAAHC)
7.AWhatAisAtheAOPPSAandAhowAdoesAitAapplyAtoAASCs?A-
AAnswerAOutpatientAProspectiveAPaymentASystem.ADifferentApaymentAsystemAw
hereAifAyouAgoAinAandAgetAaAsurgeryAandAthenAitAisAcodedAandAbilledAatAaA
specificArate.ACMSAassignsAindividualAservices
(HealthcareACommonAProcedureACodingASystem
[HCPCS]Acodes)AtoAAPCsAbasedAonAsimilarAclinical
characteristicsAandAsimilarAcosts.
8.AWhatAareAtheAmostAfrequentlyAoccurringAtypesAofAASCs?A-
AAnswerA37%AOphthalmology
31%AGastrointestinal
13%APainAandANeurology
7%AOrthopedics
Questions and Answers Updated
2026
WhatAareAtheAoriginsAofAtheAASCAphenomenon?A-
AAnswerAPhysiciansAhaveAledAtheAdevelopmentAofAASCs.A30AyearsAago,Avirtual
lyAallAsurgeryAwasAperformedAinAhospitals.AWaitsAforAweeksAandAmonthsAwer
eAnotAuncommon.
WhenAandAwhereAdidAASCAoriginate?A-
AAnswerAFirstAASCAopenedAinA1970AbyAtwoAphysiciansAinAPhoenix,AAZ.
WhoAwereAtheAASCAfounders?AIsAthereAanyAsignificanceAtoAtheAkindsAofApeopl
eAwhoAstartedAit?A-AAnswerAtwoAphysiciansAwhoAsawAanAopportunity
toAestablishAaAhigh-quality,Acost-effectiveAalternativeAtoAinpatient
hospitalAcareAforAsurgicalAservices.
DescribeAtheAeconomicAfactorsAthatAmotivatedAtheAASCAmovement.A-
AAnswerAFacedAwithAfrustrationsAlike
schedulingAdelays,AlimitedAoperatingAroomAavailability,Aand
challengesAinAobtainingAnewAequipmentAdueAtoAhospitalAbudgets
andApolicies,AphysiciansAwereAlookingAforAaAbetterAwayA-Aand
developedAitAinAASCs.
3.ADescribeAtheAnon-economicAfactorsAthatAmotivatedAtheAASCAmovement.A-
AAnswerAPhysiciansAgainAtheAopportunityAtoAhaveAmoreAdirectAcontrolAoverAsu
rgicalApractices.ASchedulingAproceduresAmoreAconveniently,AassembleAbetterAqua
lityAandAskilledAteamAmembers,AensureAequipmentAandAsuppliesAareAbestAsuit
edAtoAtheirAtechnique.AAUTONOMYAoverAtheirAworkAenvironmentAandAqualityAo
fAcare.
4.AWhatAbenefitsAorAadvantagesAdoesAaApatientAderiveAfromAbeingAtreatedAin
AanAASC?A-AAnswerA-disclosureAofApricingAinformation
, -TechnologicalAadvancement:AfasterAactingAanesthetics,AlessAinvasiveAtechniques
-moreAaffordableAwithAfreeAstanding,AbecauseAFS-
ASCAaren'tAallowedAtoAmarkupAsurgicalAimplants
5.ABrieflyAdescribeAtheAconditionsAofAparticipationA(stateAregulations)AthatAgove
rnAtheAestablishmentAandAlicensingAofAanAASC.A-
AAnswerAASCAcannotAbeA"inside"AaAphysician'sAoffice.AMustAhaveAseparateAen
tranceAandAwaitingAarea.A
ASCAareAnotAlicensedAforAinpatientAbeds.ANoAlongerAthanA23Ahours.ATransferA
agreementArequired.
6.AMustAanAASCAbeAcertified?AHowAdoesAthatAhappen?A-
AAnswerAMustAbeA"certified"AbyAMedicareAtoAperformAcasesAforAMedicareApati
ents.A85%AofAASCsAareAMedicareAcertified.A42AstatesArequireAlicensing,AandA1
/4AofAASCsAareAaccreditedAbyAoneAofA4AaccreditingAbodiesA(ASF,AASCA,AJointA
Commission,AAAAforAAHC)
7.AWhatAisAtheAOPPSAandAhowAdoesAitAapplyAtoAASCs?A-
AAnswerAOutpatientAProspectiveAPaymentASystem.ADifferentApaymentAsystemAw
hereAifAyouAgoAinAandAgetAaAsurgeryAandAthenAitAisAcodedAandAbilledAatAaA
specificArate.ACMSAassignsAindividualAservices
(HealthcareACommonAProcedureACodingASystem
[HCPCS]Acodes)AtoAAPCsAbasedAonAsimilarAclinical
characteristicsAandAsimilarAcosts.
8.AWhatAareAtheAmostAfrequentlyAoccurringAtypesAofAASCs?A-
AAnswerA37%AOphthalmology
31%AGastrointestinal
13%APainAandANeurology
7%AOrthopedics
