Shakeel Ahmed, MD, CEO of Atlas Surgical Group in St. Louis, joined Becker’s to discuss this trend.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: How do hospital-employed physicians versus independent physicians affect ASCs’ ability to grow, and do you see hospital consolidations further limiting ASC opportunities in the market?
Shakeel Ahmed: From my personal experience over the last few decades, the single greatest injustice in healthcare is the undue restrictions hospitals place on their employed physicians, preventing them from referring outside their networks. In nearly every case, if these hospitals were taken to court for antitrust violations, they would be held liable. However, no one is willing to take on that fight against entities that are vastly larger and have far more resources at their disposal.
Independent physicians, who once served as the backbone of ASC referrals, continue to dwindle in number for various reasons beyond this discussion. Those who remain in practice still have some autonomy and the ability to direct cases to these lower-cost, high-quality outpatient settings. However, this is changing rapidly as hospital consolidations continue to reduce the number of independent physicians, further skewing the market in favor of large healthcare systems.
Unfortunately, I don’t see an easy solution to this issue. My outlook is pessimistic, as I foresee a bleak future for independent physicians unless meaningful regulations are put in place to preserve this vital sector of healthcare.
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.