CMS Expands ASC Covered Procedures by Over 560 Codes

SCA Health executives say the real impact, particularly for cardiovascular services, will take time to materialize.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has added more than 560 new codes to the Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) covered procedure list for 2026, including 289 procedures already paid in hospital outpatient departments and 271 procedures coming off the inpatient-only list. 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.

Why it matters

The expansion is a significant milestone for the ASC industry, particularly the addition of cardiovascular procedures, which have historically remained concentrated in hospital outpatient departments due to reimbursement, infrastructure, and physician employment dynamics. However, SCA Health executives caution that the real impact will take time to materialize as ASCs need to prepare their facilities and build the necessary clinical programs before case volumes shift meaningfully.

The details

SCA Health leaders say the addition of cardiovascular codes, especially for ablation procedures, is the most exciting part of the update. However, they note that these service lines require significant operational ramp-up and physical plant readiness, so ASCs won't see an immediate impact. The adoption will depend heavily on geography, physician alignment, and facility readiness. States with fewer regulatory barriers, like Texas and Florida, may see faster movement of cardiovascular procedures into the ASC setting, while other markets could face a slower transition due to certificate-of-need laws or hospital employment structures.

  • CMS announced the 560-code expansion for the 2026 ASC covered procedure list.

The players

CMS

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal agency that oversees the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

SCA Health

A leading operator of ambulatory surgery centers in the United States.

Lindsay Lowder

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

Matthew Humbarger

Group vice president of payer engagement and strategy at SCA Health.

Journal of the American College of Cardiology

A scientific journal published by the American College of Cardiology.

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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.”

— Lindsay Lowder, Group vice president of operational innovation and strategy (Becker's ASC Review)

“We're very pleased with the 2026 covered procedure list, especially the addition of cardiovascular ablation codes. These are procedures we've been focused on for years, and we've had conversations with commercial payers about removing payment barriers. CMS' move is a step in the right direction to align reimbursement with clinical advancements.”

— Matthew Humbarger, Group vice president of payer engagement and strategy (Becker's ASC Review)

What’s next

ASCs will need to prepare their facilities and build the necessary clinical programs to be able to perform the newly covered cardiovascular procedures before case volumes shift meaningfully.

The takeaway

The expansion of the ASC covered procedure list, particularly the addition of cardiovascular codes, is a significant milestone for the industry. However, the real impact will take time to materialize as ASCs need to invest in infrastructure and physician alignment to be able to offer these new services.