If you wonder why personal injury is a growing business for ASC, it comes as no surprise when we look at the numbers. Personal injury has a market size of $41 billion with steady growth year over year. The growth mainly comes from the increase in people driving and auto accidents each year.
Certain ASCs are adopting more personal injury cases as they help increase revenues and the bottom line. Before we get into the benefits of personal injury cases for ASCs, let’s define a few things.
Difference between personal injury and bodily injury
Before we answer your question, Why is personal injury a growing business for ASC? Two types of injuries can occur, can be either personal or bodily.
By law, the difference between personal injury and bodily injury can be defined as the following. A bodily injury is the result of a crime or assault. Personal injury is the result of a wrongful death or accident. Laws cover the difference between the two. Therefore, relating to proof and liability. Personal injury can relate to civil claim damages. To get the compensation you deserve from the other party, you must present:
- Receipts showing the value of the property damage
- Your communication with the insurance companies
- Lost wages resulting from missed work
- Medical exams and records
- Law enforcement or police documents
- Videos or photographs of the incident
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Compensations when submitted to personal injury
Compensations, when submitted to personal injury, come in two types. When as a victim a person is damaged, they can seek compensation. These can be the result of punitive damages or compensatory damages. Compensatory damages cover the expenses related to a victim’s suffering, losses, and pain. They cover:
- Compensation for suffering and pain
- Property damage
- Increased living expenses
- Lost income from missing work
- Medical costs
- Punitive damages punish the defendant instead of compensating the victim. From acts of fraud, malice to negligence and others.
Why ASCs choose personal injury cases?
The drivers of ASCs adopting personal jury are as follow:
1- Increased revenue: Most cases at an ASC are paid out by insurance like Medicare or other private payers. This is important to note since reimbursement payments continue to drop, and coverages are changing for these traditional payers. Adding personal injury introduces a new stream of revenue that will help improve operations and ASCs and increase profits.
2- Increase case volume: Most cases coming through the ASC come from a physician’s office. However, you work with personal injury cases; you will often receive cases from personal injury lawyers. PI cases start with a lawyer consultation that will refer to an orthopedic surgeon or pain management physician with an ASC.
3- Improve patient care: Patient care management is back in the hands of the physician and ASC when it comes to personal injury care. This is because the payers are more willing to compensate for a high level of care and not just what Medicare approves.
Why do personal injury lawyers choose ASCs?
To name all the benefits of working with an ASC is no easy task. Some decades ago, surgeons executed surgeries inside hospitals. However, recovery and treatment could take up to months or weeks.
This is exactly where ASC plays the hero for personal injury cases for low-risk procedures and minimally invasive surgeries. Here are the benefits for personal injury cases to be sent to an ASC:
- Less time waiting: First, we must remind you that surgeries trigger stress and anxiety. This includes both invasive and minimally invasive. Hospitals can hold you from one day to a week after surgery. ASCs, however, discharge you on the same day. This means less time for the case to get closed by many lawyers.
- Lower costs: Nowadays, patients are opting for alternative facilities to reduce costs. ASC costs less because they’re more focused on equipment and staff. This means there is an increase in the margin with the case payouts for all parties involved.
- The high number of nurses for every patient: no more overbooking procedures and overworking staff due to focused healthcare with ASCs. Patients will get the care they need on their road to recovery.
- Easier to work with: ASCs are easier to communicate and work with than large hospitals as they often have 1-2 main contact points. Personal injury cases can be streamlined (using a system like personal injury EMR system) with a lawyer portal.
If you have any more questions about personal injury and ASCs. Feel free to reach out to our team, and we can help you get started on how to start accepting personal injury cases for your ASC. And now check out How Emrs are meaningful use!
About the Author: Khalil
