Connecticut Ambulatory Surgery Centers
Making the cost of Connecticut health care less taxing
61 small businesses making healthcare more affordable
Ambulatory Surgery Centers—known as ASCs—are modern healthcare facilities focused on providing same-day surgical care, including diagnostic and preventive healthcare procedures that are less expensive and reduce long-term healthcare costs for patients, insurers and employers. The most common procedures performed at ASCs are cataract surgeries, colonoscopies, endoscopies and orthopedic procedures. Connecticut’s 61 surgery centers are poised to be part of the solution for reducing healthcare spending. They are the lower cost, higher-quality health care providers in this state. In 2015 a tax was levied on ASCs with no warning, no public hearing and no input from the industry. As a result, where other states are seeing growth in the ASC industry, growth in Connecticut has been curtailed. In the interest of public health, and cost savings for patients, insurers and employers—including the State of Connecticut—ASCs should be lauded for making healthcare more affordable, not be penalized for it.
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ASCs and TaxesUnlike hospitals, ASCs already pay taxes like other small businesses: state income tax, sales tax, and property tax. An ASC should be taxed like any other small business OR taxed like a non-profit care provider—but not both.
There are only 4 other states in the nation that tax ASC-provided healthcare services. At 6%, Connecticut’s ASC tax rate is AT LEAST 3 TIMES HIGHER than in other states, where the tax rates are 1-2% |
Taxing more affordable health care
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