What percent of Medicare patients had surgeries performed in an ASC in 2005?

• A. 10%
• B. 30%
• C. 50%
• D. 70%

Answer: (B)

The question is about how Medicare surgeries were distributed between ambulatory surgery centers and inpatient/hospital settings in 2005. By that time, ASCs had become the preferred site for many elective, low-risk procedures, but many surgeries still required hospital-based care due to complexity, anesthesia needs, or patient risk.

About 30% of Medicare surgeries occurred in an ASC in 2005. This shows a substantial shift toward outpatient facilities, but not a majority, since a large share of procedures remained performed in hospitals. The other options—10%, 50%, or 70%—don’t fit the mix of that period: 10% understates ASC use at the time, 50% would imply an even split that wasn’t the norm yet, and 70% overstates ASC dominance in 2005.