ASCs cost less than HOPDs, even when out-of-network: Study

Becker's Healthcare October 17, 2025
Patsy Newitt

Out-of-network ASCs have lower costs than in-network hospital outpatient departments, according to a new study published Oct. 6 in The American Journal of Managed Care.

The study analyzed commercial medical claims data from all 50 states, comparing insurer-paid amounts, patient out-of-pocket payments and balance billing amounts for four common adult outpatient surgeries: arthroscopy, cataract, colonoscopy and upper gastrointestinal procedures. Researchers examined how prices varied by site of care (ASC vs. HOPD) and network status (in-network vs. out-of-network).

Here are five things to know:

1. Across all analyses, ASCs offered significantly lower prices, with in-network ASCs having the lowest average costs. Even out-of-network ASCs remained cheaper than in-network HOPDs across all four procedure types.

2....

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