Preapproval of sinus computed tomography for otolaryngologic evaluation of chronic rhinosinusitis does not save health care costs

Abstract

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of preapproval requirements for computed tomography (CT) of the sinuses in the evaluation and management of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. Over a 6-month period, all sinus CT scans ordered by an otolaryngology practice and requiring preapproval by a third-party payor were tabulated. Characteristics of the preapproval process that were recorded and analyzed included time spent by office administrative staff, need for peer-to-peer review, and time spent by the ordering physician. All 111 sinus CT scans ordered during the 6-month time period required preapproval based on insurer requirements-38 performed by computer, 71 by telephone, and two required both-costing an average of 8.1 minutes per scan by administrative staff (range, 2.0-20.0 minutes). Thirteen preapprovals required peer-to-peer telephone interaction by the ordering physician, utilizing an average of 7.7 minutes (range, 5-12 minutes). In no case was the insurance company peer an otolaryngologist. Ultimately, no sinus CT scan request was rejected by a third-party payor. Preapprovals for sinus CTs ordered by otolaryngologists are unlikely to save costs for third-party payors, as sinus CT for the evaluation of CRS is well established and therefore unlikely to be rejected. Preapproval in this context comes at the expense of practice administrative and physicians' time. Based on our results, preapproval for sinus CT scans ordered by an otolaryngologist for evaluation of CRS appears to be an unnecessary and costly requirement. N/A.