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Most orthopedic procedures showed decrease in reimbursement from 2000 to 2016
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From 2000 to 2016, researchers found a steady decrease in reimbursement for procedures in all orthopedic subspecialties, except for removal of an orthopedic implant. They also found adult reconstruction had the greatest rate of decrease, according to results published in Orthopedics.
To evaluate trends in Medicare reimbursements for orthopedic surgical procedures, Alan H. Daniels, MD, and colleagues examined the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for the most common orthopedic and non-orthopedic procedures performed between 2000 and 2016, and adjusted prices for inflation to 2016-dollar values. Researchers calculated compound annual growth rates to assess mean growth rates for each procedure and subspecialty, and calculated year-to-year dollar amount changes for each procedure and subspecialty. Researchers also compared reimbursement trends for individual procedures and across subspecialties.
Results showed that, except for removal of an orthopedic implant, all orthopedic procedures had a decrease in reimbursement between 2000 and 2016. Researchers found shoulder arthroscopy/decompression, total knee replacement, total hip replacement, repair of tendons/rotator cuff and repair of high/trochanteric fracture had the greatest annual decreases in reimbursement. In contrast, removal of orthopedic implant, debridement of skin/muscle/bone/fracture, repair fracture of radius/ulna/percutaneous, carpal tunnel release and repair of ankle fracture had the least annual decreases in reimbursement, according to results.
“Rate of Medicare procedure reimbursement change varied between subspecialties,” Daniels told Healio.com/Orthopedics. “Trauma procedures had the smallest decrease in annual change compared with spine, sports and hand.”
Results showed statistically significant differences between all subspecialties when comparing differences in annual dollar changes, except hand vs. sports medicine and non-orthopedic vs. trauma. Compared with any of the other subspecialties, researchers found reimbursement for adult reconstruction had a significantly greater rate of decrease. – by Casey Tingle
Disclosures: Daniels reports he is a paid consultant for DePuy, Globus Medical, Orthofix Inc., SpineArt and Stryker; and has received research support from Orthofix Inc. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
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