MNASCA Member Forums

MNASCA organizes multiple online Member Forums each year, focusing on current legislative and regulatory topics. These forums feature guest speakers who provide valuable insights and address members' questions. In 2024, we covered subjects including medical debt collection, healthcare price transparency, the MN Care public option, and other legislative proposals affecting ASCs.

Note: We invite you to register for these FREE updates, so we can more easily follow up with you to share information and materials post-event.

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Previous Member Forums

Friday, March 14, 2025, 10 AM
2025 Legislative Update
Tom Poul, Attorney/Lobbyist, Poul Haas
Rep. Liz Reyer, Member, House Health Finance and Policy
Stephan Abresch, Director of Government Affairs, ASCA
The March forum provided key updates on state legislative developments impacting ASCs. Rep. Liz Reyer joined us to discuss her proposed legislation to enhance transparency, safeguard medical practice integrity, and protect assisted living residents and their families from unfair practices. Finally, Stephen Abresch (ASCA) shared several federal legislative and regulatory updates, including insights into recent federal executive orders on health care agencies and programs.

READ the forum summary

Resources:

• February Member Forum recording
• February Member Forum presentation slides
• Dept. of Employment & Economic Development (DEED) PFML Employer Resource Toolkit
• Dept. of Labor & Industry (DOLI) ESST resources
• Lathrop: The Modern Workplace Blog

Friday, December 6, 2024
1. Unpacking the CMS 2025 Final Payment Rule
Kara Newbury, Chief Advocacy Officer, Ambulatory Surgery Center Association
ASCA provided an update on the CMS 2025 Final Payment Rule and its implications for ASCs, including:

• Payment updates
• Procedure coverage
• Quality reporting updates

Resources:

• https://qualitynet.cms.gov/asc
• https://www.ascassociation.org/medicare/quality-reporting
• https://www.ascassociation.org/asca/ascoperations/quality/oas-cahps

• Measure specifications: https://qualitynet.cms.gov/files/671a90d806a21494bb0ced60?filename=FCHE_MeasSpecs_ASCQR_Jul24.pdf
• Attestation guidance: https://qualitynet.cms.gov/files/67259e5cdea98b54c10e1aa0?filename=AttstGdnceFCHEMeas_v1.0_ASCQR.pdf

2. BCBS 2025 Contracting
Darci LaRose, Senior Contract Manager, Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN
Luke Speltz, Director of Provider Relations Finance, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
BCBS shared insights on the employer market and their ASC methodology as we head into the 2025 contracting period and heard from MNASCA members about their ideas and recommendations for the next contracting cycle. 

View BCBS slides

3. Price Transparency Implementation
Kristen Ackert, Health Economics Planning Program Director, MN Department of Health
Rep. Steve Elkins, Minnesota House
MDH reviewed the agency's draft fact sheet on ASC standard charges and other requirements in Minnesota's price transparency law. Rep. Elkins also provided insights on the legislative intent behind the new law and heard from ASCs about implementation questions and challenges.

Resources:

View MDH's draft guidance on price transparency
CMS Price Transparency Resources
MN Statutes Third Party Payer Definition