1. High volume is essential for profitability. Unlike orthopedics, which depends on a substantial profit margin to make up for low case volume, ophthalmology is a volume-driven specialty. According to Jeff Peo, vice president of acquisitions and development for Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America, ASCs that want to make a profit with ophthalmology must guarantee high case volume — and cases must be done quickly.
“If you’re taking a long time in the [operating room], that profit very easily gets eaten up,” he says. While ophthalmology reimbursements have remained steady over the past few years, the average profit per Medicare case is still low. Ophthalmology cases currently average between $100 and $200 in profit in surgery centers.
Read the full report in Becker’s ASC Review on ophthalmology in surgery centers.
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