What percent growth did Medicare Certified ASCs achieve in 2012?

• A. 0.5%
• B. 1.2%
• C. 1.6%
• D. 2.0%

Answer: (B)

Understanding percent growth here means looking at how the number of Medicare-certified ASCs changes from one year to the next. Percent growth is calculated by taking the difference between the 2012 count and the 2011 count, dividing by the 2011 count, and multiplying by 100.

In 2012, the network of Medicare-certified ASCs grew by about 1.2%. That means there were roughly 1.2% more certified facilities in 2012 than in 2011. This reflects a modest, steady expansion as centers pursued Medicare certification to serve more beneficiaries and to participate in outpatient surgery growth.

Choosing a smaller or larger figure would imply a noticeably different pace of expansion than what was observed for 2012, so 1.2% best matches the reported growth.