Ambulatory Surgery Center Statistics That Define the Industry

Updated: August 2026

Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) have delivered outpatient surgical care for over 50 years, giving patients access to high-quality procedures without the cost or inconvenience of hospital stays. ASCs allow patients to undergo surgery and return home the same day, helping reduce healthcare costs and improve access to essential services. These ambulatory surgery center statistics highlight how the industry continues to grow, evolve, and shape the future of surgical care.

Key Ambulatory Surgery Center Statistics

Below is an extensive list of ambulatory surgery center statistics that help provide a better understanding of this growing, dynamic industry.

ASC Industry Overview

• Number of Medicare-certified ASCs in the U.S.: 6,600+
• Number of non-Medicare-certified ASCs: 4,000+
• Number of multi-specialty ASCs: 3,500+
• Number of single-specialty ASCs: 3,100+
• Number of ASC operating rooms (ORs): 18,000+
• Annual ASC growth rate: 2%+
• Number of procedures on the ASC Covered Procedures List (ASC-CPL): 3,700+
• Percentage of for-profit ASCs: 95%
• Percentage of urban ASCs: 94%
• National average number of specialties per ASC: 2.84

Operating Room Capacity

• Average number of ORs per ASC: 2.89
• Average ORs for single-specialty ASCs: 2.24
• Average ORs for multi-specialty ASCs: 3.55

Geographic Concentration

• Top 3 states with the most ASCs: California, Florida, Texas
• Top 3 cities with the most ASCs: Las Vegas, Atlanta, Houston
• State with the highest concentration of ASCs: Maryland (36 ASCs per 100,000 Part B beneficiaries)
• States with the lowest concentration: Kentucky, West Virginia, Vermont (4 or fewer ASCs per 100,000 Part B beneficiaries)

Future of the ASC Industry

• Fastest-growing ASC specialties, 2023–2024: orthopedics (+18.9%), respiratory (+8.3%), cardiology (+6.3%)
• Projected ASC volume growth over the next decade: 24%
• Projected average ORs per ASC in 2029: 3.01
• Projected average ORs for single-specialty ASCs in 2029: 2.43
• Projected average ORs for multi-specialty ASCs in 2029: 3.61

Noteworthy Procedures Added to CMS ASC Covered Procedures List (ASC-CPL) for 2026

• Electrophysiology studies and ablations
• Percutaneous coronary intervention
• Cardioversion
• Posterior lumbar interbody fusion
• Combined posterior lumbar and posterior lumbar interbody fusion
• Vascular embolization or occlusion

Noteworthy Procedures Proposed for the ASC-CPL for 2027

• CMS proposes removing nearly 640 services from the inpatient-only list and adding 618 codes to the ASC-CPL
• Laparoscopic colectomy
• Partial nephrectomy
• Sleeve lobectomy
• Prostatectomy

Cost Savings to Medicare

• Medicare savings from care delivered in ASCs (2024): $5.1 billion
• Projected annual Medicare savings by 2034: $12.5 billion
• Projected total Medicare savings, 2025-2034: nearly $85 billion
• Fee-for-service Medicare payments to ASCs (2024): $7.5 billion, up from $5.3 billion in 2019

Ownership Structure

(Percentage total 100%)

• Physician only: 52%
• Physician-hospital: 22%
• Physician-corporation: 13%
• Physician-hospital-corporation: 3%
• Corporate only: 3%
• Hospital only: 2%
• Other: 5%

Facility Size

• Small (1-2 ORs): 54%
• Medium (3-4 ORs): 31%
• Large (5-6 ORs): 10%
• Mega (7+ ORs): 5%

Financial Metrics (Median)

• Salaries, wages, and benefits as % of net revenue: 23%
• Benefit cost as % of total compensation: 15.0%
• Salaries and wages as % of net revenue: 29.3%
• Supply cost as % of net revenue: 27.8%
• Number of days cash on hand: 56
• Days in A/R: 35-45 days
• A/R over 90 days: <15%
• Clean claims: 98%
• Denial date: <5%

Case Volume Metrics (Median)

• Annual surgical cases per OR: 1,104
• Annual procedures per procedure room: 1,357
• Annual orthopedic cases per room: 800
• Annual ophthalmology cases per room: 1,400
• Annual gastroenterology cases per room: 1,500

Medicare-Certified ASCs by Specialty Type

Percentages don’t add up to 100—centers may have more than one specialty.

• Pain: 36% (2,229)
• Orthopedic: 36% (2,223)
• Ophthalmology: 34% (2,096)
• Endoscopy: 32% (1,982)
• Plastic: 28% (1,722)
• Podiatry: 27% (1,659)
• Otolaryngology: 23% (1,416)
• Obstetrics/Gynecology: 18% (1,106)
• Dental: 8% (472)

Single-Specialty, Medicare-Certified ASCs by Specialty Type

• Endoscopy: 27% (862)
• Ophthalmology: 25% (797)
• Pain: 13% (410)
• Plastic: 6% (186)
• Orthopedic: 6% (182)
• Podiatry: 3% (91)
• Dental: 2% (54)
• Obstetrics/Gynecology: 1% (33)
• Otolaryngology: 1% (39)

Multi-Specialty, Medicare-Certified ASCs by Specialty Type

Percentages do not add up to 100—centers may have more than one specialty.

• Orthopedic: 36% (2,041)
• Pain: 36% (1,819)
• Podiatry: 34% (1,568)
• Plastic: 32% (1,536)
• Otolaryngology: 28% (1,377)
• Ophthalmology: 27% (1,299)
• Endoscopy: 23% (1,120)
• Obstetrics/Gynecology: 18% (1,073)
• Dental: 8% (418)

Revenue Per Case by Specialty (Median)

• Orthopedics: $3,764
• Gynecology: $2,933
• Podiatry: $2,688
• Otolaryngology: $2,543
• Urology: $1,887
• General Surgery: $2,458
• Plastic Surgery: $2,010
• Ophthalmology: $1,442
• Pain Management: $968
• Gastroenterology: $800

The Impact of Ambulatory Surgery Centers

The ASC statistics shared above provide a glimpse into an industry that's not only cemented itself as critical to healthcare today but is poised to take on even greater importance going forward. The migration of surgical care out of the inpatient setting and into outpatient settings, largely ASCs, shows no signs of slowing down.

Given the rapidly changing healthcare environment, how can ASCs better ensure success today and tomorrow? Revisit what ASC leaders said during our webinar, "What's Next for the ASC Industry."

Sources: Advisory Board, Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA), ASC Data, ASC Focus, Avanza Healthcare Strategies, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Definitive Healthcare, KNG Health Consulting, MedPAC, Sg2, Vizient, VMG Health

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