A retrospective study of orthognathic surgery reimbursement and volume changes at an American academic medical center over a 13-year period

Abstract

This study aimed to measure the association between orthognathic surgeon reimbursement and surgical volume over time. A retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent orthognathic surgery from January 1, 2010, to December 23, 2022, at an academic medical center was performed. Five patients per year were randomly selected and evaluated for insurance type and associated costs to create representative averages. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to test associations over 13 years with 2-tailed significance reported and statistical significance set at P < .05. A total of 618 patients who underwent 942 procedures were included. The average procedure charge was $6,153.76, and the average total surgeon collection was $1,535.75 per procedure. When monetary values were adjusted to reflect 2010 purchasing power, there was a negative correlation between the average charge per procedure and the year (r[11] = -0.59, P = .04). The year was not significantly correlated with the average amount collected (r[11] = -0.09, P = .78) or average insurance reimbursement (r[11] = -0.52, P = .07). Collections by surgeons did not change significantly over 13 years and were not correlated with the volume of procedures performed. Increased collections were correlated with increased patient costs. The stagnation of surgeon collection is concerning in the face of increased monetary inflation during this period. Increased volume of surgeries per year was correlated with decreases in patient cost and total collections.