Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Key CMS Shifts, Site Neutrality Momentum, and ACA Subsidy Uncertainty with Laura Dyrda
Nov 25, 2025
Laura Dyrda, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief at Becker's Healthcare, dives into crucial CMS policy changes impacting healthcare delivery. She discusses the three-year phase-out of the inpatient-only list and how health systems are evolving with ASC growth and partnerships. Important shifts toward site-neutral payments are highlighted, aiming to reduce patient copays. Dyrda also navigates the political landscape around ACA subsidies, revealing the implications for hospitals and patients amid growing public support for tax credits.
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Inpatient-Only List Is Phased Out
- CMS will phase out the inpatient-only list over three years and expand the ASC covered procedures list significantly.
- This change signals a structural shift of many musculoskeletal and other procedures toward outpatient and ASC settings.
Health Systems Betting On ASCs
- Some health systems are already moving cases into outpatient settings and partnering on ASCs ahead of CMS changes.
- Ascension acquired AmSurg and added 250 centers to accelerate its ASC presence and capture shifting volume.
Site Neutral Payments Advance
- CMS aligned reimbursement for some outpatient services to reduce higher copays based on site of care.
- The agency expects roughly $11 billion in savings over a decade by shifting procedures to ASCs.