Large ASCs have lower operating costs per case, study finds

Total operating costs are lower in larger ambulatory surgery centers than in smaller ones, according to a newly released Medical Group Management Association survey.

According to the MGMA Ambulatory Surgery Center Performance Survey, median total operating cost per case for ambulatory surgery centers with 5,000 or more cases per year was $583 in 2004, compared with $985 for those centers with 1,999 or fewer cases per year.