The Impact of Documentation on Medicare and Medicaid Reimbursement of Subspecialty Urology in the Era of Health Care Reform

Abstract

IntroductionAs health care reform is ongoing, reimbursement will continually be increasingly scrutinized and decreased despite growing numbers of patients with comorbid medical conditions. This study determined the impact of inpatient comorbidity documentation on hospital reimbursement in a female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery group. MethodsDepartmental financial records from 2011 to 2012 were reviewed. All admissions by 4 female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgeons at a tertiary referral center were collected. All DRG (Diagnosis Related Group) codes of pathological conditions specific to males, stones and nonsubspecialty issues were excluded from analysis. Using CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) reimbursement rates the effects of documenting and coding comorbidities or complications were determined. Geographic multipliers were excluded. The study objective was to determine the impact of inpatient documentation on hospital reimbursement from a urological subspecialty group. ResultsEach of 4 surgeons admitted an average of 29 inpatients per year of whom 29% had a comorbidity or complication documented. Mean reimbursement was $3,486 greater for cases with versus without a coded comorbidity or complication. This resulted in an additional $31,374 of reimbursement annually per surgeon or $125,496 for the group. ConclusionsDocumenting comorbidities and complications in urology patients appropriately results in a substantial increase in reimbursement. Care should be taken by urologists to accurately note comorbid medical conditions. This is especially crucial as health care reform continues and growing numbers of patients present with chronic disease while reimbursement is further scrutinized and decreased.