State of the ASC Industry Report (2026)

Thank you for taking the time to listen to our report. We hope you learned many insightful and actionable tips to continue providing excellent patient care in a way that is efficient and profitable.Operating a successful ASC is not the same as it was a decade ago or even five years ago. The industry is undergoing transformative changes, shaped by factors such as regulatory changes, technological advancements, evolving patient expectations, and economic pressures.Leading surgery centers, with their finger on the pulse of these changes, recognize the emerging challenges. They understand traditional methods will no longer cut it, and a proactive approach is essential. HST Pathways is committed to riding this wave alongside our clients and partners, and we will navigate whatever the future holds together.HST Pathways is the leading provider of a suite of products that have been thoughtfully and clinically designed for the surgery center industry. Our software offerings provide ASCs with intuitive solutions that cover the entire patient journey and help to unlock revenue, fuel growth, and deliver better care. Build, grow, and run your facility with solutions your entire team will love. See why more than 1,800 ASCs and 75,000 users are choosing HST Pathways by visiting our website, hstpathways.com. This has been the State of the ASC Industry Report, published in 2026. Thank you for listening.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

This report was developed using a comprehensive approach that included industry research, consultations with clinical experts, data from reputable industry publications, and insights from HST Pathways’ own products.When benchmarking data was sourced from HST Pathways’ data warehouse, the conclusions in this report were based on data spanning the beginning of 2023 through 2025, representing three full years of ASC data. Year-over-year comparisons include full calendar year data from 2023, 2024, and 2025. The surgery centers represented are HST clients who have granted permission for their data to be used in this analysis, offering a comprehensive and current view into the trends and dynamics shaping the industry today.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

Before we wrap up, let’s take a moment to define the key metrics used throughout this report, along with how each one is calculated. They are listed in the order they appear in the report.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The ninth and final task that you should complete annually is reviewing legal compliance.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The eighth task that you should complete annually is reviewing policies and procedures.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The seventh task that you should complete annually is renewing licenses and certifications.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The sixth task that you should complete annually is reviewing vendor contracts.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The fifth task that you should complete annually is preparing the annual budget.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The fourth task that you should complete annually is conducting performance management reviews.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The third task that you should complete annually is reviewing payer contracts.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The second task that you should complete annually is performing an inventory check.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

As a last stop, let’s review nine tasks that should be completed on an annual basis. The first task that you should complete annually is conducting a chargemaster analysis.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The twelfth and final task that you should complete quarterly is performing a quarterly Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement study.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The eleventh task that you should complete monthly or quarterly is offering staff training and education.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The tenth task that you should complete monthly or quarterly is conducting quarterly planning with vendors.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The ninth task that you should complete monthly or quarterly is reviewing patient satisfaction survey results.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The eighth task that you should complete monthly or quarterly is performing infection control audits.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The seventh task that you should complete monthly or quarterly is holding quarterly board meetings.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The sixth task that you should complete monthly or quarterly is performing a financial review.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The fifth task that you should complete monthly or quarterly is managing payroll.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The fourth task that you should complete monthly or quarterly is performing a marketing review.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The third task that you should complete monthly or quarterly is performing emergency preparedness drills.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The second task that you should complete monthly or quarterly is reviewing accreditation, compliance, and credentialing statuses.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

Here are the 12 tasks that ASC leaders should complete on a monthly or quarterly basis to keep revenue high and everything running smoothly.The first task that you should complete monthly or quarterly is reviewing profitability reports.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The seventh task that you should complete daily or weekly is performing an audit of medication cabinets.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The sixth task that you should complete daily or weekly is reviewing quality outcomes.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The fifth task that you should complete daily or weekly is reconciling discrepancies in posted payments.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The fourth task that you should complete daily or weekly is following up with patients on overdue balances.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The third task that you should complete daily or weekly is reviewing collections, outstanding accounts receivable, and claim denials.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The second task that you should complete daily or weekly is reviewing staff shift coverage.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

Now that we’ve covered the patient’s journey, let’s switch to day-to-day operations. Let’s go through the seven key tasks that should be completed on a daily or weekly basis.The first task that you should complete daily or weekly is ordering necessary supplies.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The fifth and final step in the “Patient Journey: Post-Day of Service” is for the surgery center to manage the claim through the reimbursement process.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The fourth step in the “Patient Journey: Post-Day of Service” is to complete coding and charge entry for the case.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The third step in the “Patient Journey: Post-Day of Service” is for the surgery center to send a patient satisfaction survey.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The second step in the “Patient Journey: Post-Day of Service” is for the surgery center to review the patient's chart for completion and close it out.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The patient has officially been discharged, and the surgery was a success. Let’s walk through the five steps the patient and your team will need to complete next. The first of these five steps in the “Patient Journey: Post-Day of Service” is for the surgery center to check in with the patient following their procedure.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The eighth and final step in the “Patient Journey: Day of Service” is that the patient is discharged from the surgery center.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The seventh step in the “Patient Journey: Day of Service” is moving the patient to the recovery area.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The sixth step in the “Patient Journey: Day of Service” is for the surgery center to share updates with the patient’s family or friends.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The fifth step in the “Patient Journey: Day of Service” is that the patient and care team enter the operating room.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The fourth step in the “Patient Journey: Day of Service” is that the patient and care team enter the pre-operative area.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The third step in the “Patient Journey: Day of Service” is for the surgery center to prepare the operating room, equipment, and necessary supplies.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The second step in the “Patient Journey: Day of Service” is for the surgery center to collect any outstanding balance from the patient.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The day of surgery has arrived. Let’s walk through the eight steps that the patient and your team will go through. The first of these eight steps in the “Patient Journey: Day of Service” is for the patient to check in at the front desk and meet with the registration team.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The ninth and final step in the “Patient Journey: Pre-Day of Service” is for the surgery center to pull the necessary supplies from the supply room the day before the procedure.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The eighth step in the “Patient Journey: Pre-Day of Service” is for the surgery center to communicate appointment reminders and pre-operative instructions to the patient via text.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The seventh step in the “Patient Journey: Pre-Day of Service” is for the surgery center to generate and send a cost estimate to the patient prior to the date of service.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The sixth step in the “Patient Journey: Pre-Day of Service” is for the surgery center to send a pre-assessment form to the patient.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The fifth step in the “Patient Journey: Pre-Day of Service” is for the surgery center to review the case for profitability and any required implants.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/

The fourth step in the “Patient Journey: Pre-Day of Service” is for the surgery center to manage the case leading up to the date of service.View the full report online: https://www.hstpathways.com/resources/surgery-center-industry-report/