Bundled Payments for Ambulatory Surgery Have the Potential to Foster Increased Transparency, Improved Outcomes, Lower Costs, and Increased Capacity for Health Care Systems

Abstract

Bundled payments are a new payment methodology that is becoming increasingly popular in the United States. Bundled payments are designed to combine all of the costs associated with the delivery of surgical services, including the professional fees of the surgeon, assistant(s), anesthesiologists, and the facility fees of the hospital or ambulatory surgery center into a single bill. This method of reimbursing facilities and healthcare professionals has been utilized by the Federal Government and private insurance carriers in the United States and represents a significant departure from traditional fee for service payment systems. Bundled payments have the potential to decrease health care costs, improve transparency, improve outcomes, and increase the capacity of the health care system by creating an open market for surgical services.