A little-known CMS ruling lets multiple ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) use the same physical space — including the same operating rooms, on separate days of the week — according to an article on the Outpatient Surgery website.
Timeshare ASCs must be dually licensed by the states in which they operate and they can't have concurrent or overlapping hours of operation.
These "entity within an entity" arrangements let surgeons lease staff and equipment as needed without the cost of land acquisition, construction, equipment and staffing.
"Leasing outpatient operating room space is a cost-effective way for single-specialty physicians to acquire ASC space," said Beverly Kirchner, founder of Texas-based SurgeryDirect.
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