ASC Leaders Discuss Expanding Service Lines

CMS adds over 560 new codes to the ASC covered procedure list, sparking interest in expanding cardiovascular and spine services.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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CMS has added more than 560 new codes to the ASC covered procedure list for 2026, including 289 procedures already paid in hospital outpatient departments and 271 procedures coming off the inpatient-only list. This has sparked new engagement from ASC leaders interested in expanding service lines, especially for cardiovascular and spine procedures. While service line expansions take significant time and planning, leaders are already thinking ahead about the logistics, investments and operational tools necessary to ramp up or add entirely new services.

Why it matters

The expansion of ASC-covered procedures, especially in high-acuity areas like cardiovascular and spine, represents a significant opportunity for ASCs to grow their service offerings and patient volumes. However, leaders caution that these expansions require careful planning and preparation to ensure ASCs have the right capabilities and infrastructure in place to deliver high-quality care.

The details

The newly covered services include cardiovascular codes for electrophysiology studies, ablations and percutaneous coronary intervention, as well as spinal codes such as posterior lumbar interbody fusion. While ASC leaders are excited about these new opportunities, they note that significant operational ramp-up and physical plant readiness is required before centers will see meaningful volume shifts. Leaders emphasize the importance of staying within an ASC's core competencies and not overextending capabilities when adding new service lines.

  • CMS added more than 560 new codes to the ASC covered procedure list for 2026.

The players

Lindsay Lowder

Group vice president of operational innovation and strategy for SCA Health.

Dennis Butts

Executive vice president and chief strategy and network development officer for Detroit-based Henry Ford Health.

Nikhil Shetty, MD

COO of Munster-Ind.-based Midwest Interventional Spine Specialists.

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What they’re saying

“We've been pushing for cardiovascular codes for a while, so those are the most exciting part of this update for us. That said, we're not going to see an immediate impact, because that service line requires significant operational ramp-up and physical plant readiness. It's not like flipping a switch.”

— Lindsay Lowder, Group vice president of operational innovation and strategy for SCA Health (beckersasc.com)

“I would say that [outpatient cardiology] is something that we're actively pursuing. It's a key part of our strategy. It is something that we are proactively moving towards as a part of our affordability initiative, not something that we're waiting for legislation to cause us or force us to be in that space.”

— Dennis Butts, Executive vice president and chief strategy and network development officer for Detroit-based Henry Ford Health (beckersasc.com)

“Everybody looks at the reimbursement of an outpatient spinal fusion and wants to start incorporating that into a service line in their own ASC. What is even more important than that is to know what you're good at.”

— Nikhil Shetty, MD, COO of Munster-Ind.-based Midwest Interventional Spine Specialists (beckersasc.com)

The takeaway

The expansion of ASC-covered procedures presents both opportunities and challenges for ASC leaders. While they are excited about the potential to grow service lines, especially in high-acuity areas like cardiovascular and spine, they emphasize the need for careful planning, investment, and a focus on core competencies to ensure successful expansions that deliver high-quality care.