A summary of some of the most important ambulatory surgery center statistics.
Access to safe and efficient surgical care is fundamental, and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) have made surgical procedures available to a vast majority of our nation's communities for over 50 years. Beyond their geographical access, ASCs have also improved the financial access to procedures for patients who may otherwise not be able to afford extended stays at hospitals in their area.
Surgery centers are continually evolving, adding more procedures to the outpatient setting and becoming more efficient. As healthcare costs continue to rise, the ASC industry is a reminder that patients have options for receiving high-quality, lower-cost care.
Invitation: What's needed for short- and long-term ASC success? Hear what ASC leaders think and advise during a special National ASC Month webinar, hosted by SIS. Get the details and reserve your seat here!
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 country – 6,300+
- Number of ASC operating rooms (ORs) – 18,000+
- Annual ASC growth rate – 2.1%
- Percentage of for-profit ASCs – 95%
- Percentage of urban ASCs – 94%
- National average # of specialties served per ASC – 2.84
- Average number of ORs per ASC – 2.88
- Average number of ORs for single-specialty ASCs – 2.24
- Average number of ORs for multi-specialty ASCs – 3.55
- State with the highest concentration of ASCs – Maryland (36 ASCs per 100,000 Part B beneficiaries)
- States with the lowest concentration of ASCs – Kentucky, West Virginia, and Vermont (4 or fewer ASCs per 100,000 Part B beneficiaries)
Future of the ASC Industry
- Fastest-growing ASC specialties – Cardiology and pain management
- Projected ASC volume growth between 2024 and 2034 – 21%
- Projected average number of ORs per ASC in 2029 – 3.01
- Projected average number of ORs for single-specialty ASCs in 2029 – 2.43
- Projected average number of ORs for multi-specialty ASCs in 2029 – 3.61
- Noteworthy procedures added to the CMS ASC Covered Procedures List for 2024 – total shoulder surgery, total ankle surgery, hip tendon incision, meniscal knee replacement, repeat thyroid surgery
Ownership Structure
- Physician Only – 52%
- Physician-Hospital – 22%
- Physician-Corporation – 13%
- Physician-Hospital-Corporation – 7%
- Corporate only – 3%
- Hospital only – 3%
- Other – 2%
Facility Size
- Small (1-2 ORs) – 54%
- Medium (3-4 ORs) – 30%
- Large (5-6 ORs) – 10%
- Mega (7+ ORs) – 6%
Financial Metrics (Median)
- Salaries, Wages and Benefits as % of Net Revenue – 23%
- Benefit Cost as % of Total Compensation – 15.0%
- Salaries, Wages as % of Net Revenue – 29.3%
- Supply Cost a % 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 Rate – <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 do not add up to 100 because centers may have more than one specialty
- Orthopedic – 37% (2,232)
- Pain – 36% (2162)
- Ophthalmology – 35% (2,110)
- Endoscopy – 32% (1,961)
- Plastic – 29% (1,761)
- Podiatry – 28% (1,716)
- Otolaryngology – 23% (1,422)
- Obstetrics/Gynecology – 19% (1,169)
- Dental – 8% (492)
Single-Specialty, Medicare-Certified ASCs by Specialty Type
- Endoscopy – 27% (838)
- Ophthalmology – 24% (755)
- Pain – 12% (366)
- Plastic – 6% (186)
- Orthopedic – 5% (159)
- Podiatry – 3% (106)
- Dental – 2% (48)
- Obstetrics/Gynecology – 1% (37)
- Otolaryngology – 1% (30)
Multi-Specialty, Medicare-Certified ASCs by Specialty Type
Percentages do not add up to 100 because centers may have more than one specialty
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Orthopedic – 69% (2,074)
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Pain – 60% (1,796)
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Podiatry – 54% (1,610)
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Plastic – 52% (1,575)
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Otolaryngology – 46% (1,392)
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Ophthalmology – 45% (1,355)
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Obstetrics/Gynecology – 38% (1,132)
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Endoscopy – 37% (1,123)
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Dental – 15% (444)
Revenue Per Case by Specialty (Median)
- Sports Orthopedics - $3,764
- Gynecology - $2,933
- Podiatry - $2,688
- Otolaryngology - $2,543
- Urology - $2,483
- General Surgery - $2,458
- Plastic Surgery - $2,010
- Ophthalmology - $1,442
- Pain Management - $968
- Gastroenterology - $800
The Impact of Ambulatory Surgery Centers
The ambulatory surgery center 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? Hear from several ASC leaders during the upcoming webinar, "Excelling in Today's Dynamic ASC Landscape." Learn more about the program and register here!
Sources: Advisory Board, Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA), ASC Data, ASC Focus, Avanza Healthcare Strategies, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Definitive Healthcare, MedPAC, Sg2, VMG Health