Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Research Articles

Comparing costs associated with management of antibiotic-recalcitrant recurrent urinary tract infections for one year pre- and post-electrofulguration.

To quantify and compare recurrent urinary tract infection costs between 1 year before and 1 year after electrofulguration. Following IRB approval, a well-characterized cohort of non-neurogenic women with >3 symptomatic urinary tract infections(UTIs)/year, a negative upper and lower urinary tract evaluation, and inflammatory bladder lesions (cystitis) on office cystoscopy who underwent fulguration of these lesions was analyzed. Cost of visits, imaging, labs, and medications were summed for 1-year pre- and post-fulguration using the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, local pharmacy pricing, and institutional expenses. Before fulguration, all patients underwent clinic visit, noninvasive flow study, and flexible cystoscopy, and post-fulguration, 6-week follow-up visit and 6-month cystoscopy. Ninety-threewomen met study criteria (mean age 64), with 100% 1-year follow-up. Before fulguration, 73% of patients used daily antibiotic suppression, 6% self-start antibiotics, and 5% postcoital prophylaxis. Some also used vaginal estrogens (17%), urinary analgesics (13%), and cranberry or d-mannose supplements (7%). At 1 year post-fulguration, 82% had 0-1 infections and no cystoscopy evidence of cystitis, while 14% required additional fulguration for new cystitis sites and recurrent infections. Patients had on average 0.7 infections in the 1-year post-fulguration, which was significantly lower than pre-fulguration (p < 0.05). Mean 1-year pre-fulguration cost was $1328 (median $1071, range $291-$5564). Mean 1-year post-fulguration cost was $617 (median $467, range $275-$4580). On average, post-fulguration costs were $710 lower than pre-EF (p < 0.05). For women with antibiotic-refractory recurrent urinary tract infections and cystoscopy evidence of cystitis, fulguration was associated with a significant reduction in UTI-related costs in the 1-year post-fulguration.

Incidental Findings on MRIs for Asymmetric Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Clinical and Economic Analysis.

The gold-standard assessment of asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss (ASNHL) is contrast-enhanced MRI. Although rates of identifying a vestibular schwannoma are low (<5%), it is generally accepted as cost-effective. Yet, the impact of incidentalomas is rarely considered. This study aims to characterize the incidence of incidentalomas in the workup of ASNHL and quantify the associated socioeconomic burden. Retrospective cohort study. Single academic institution in a midsized city in the United States. Radiology records were queried for MRI's ordered for ASNHL between January 2012 and November 2022. Results were characterized as "group 1: normal," "group 2: abnormal read/normal variant," "group 3: abnormal-likely cause of ASNHL," or "group 4: abnormal-follow-up needed." Subsequent costs of workup for group 4 were estimated using Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for Medicare costs, US Congressional Budgeting Office data for private insurer costs, and USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy estimates for uninsured individuals. Six hundred patients met the inclusion criteria. Eighteen (3.0%) were categorized in group 3, whereas 40 (6.7%) were categorized in group 4. Of these patients, 7.5% (n = 3) had interventions to manage their incidental findings. Estimated per patient cost for further workup of incidental findings amounted to approximately $744, $1,534, and $2,260 for Medicare, private insurance, and uninsured costs, respectively. Incidentalomas occur over twice as often as retrocochlear pathologies responsible for ASNHL. Although the number of patients requiring treatment for incidentaloma is low, the economic impact is not insubstantial and should be considered for both individual patients and health system payers.

The Decline of Medicare Reimbursement in Clinical Pathology

Abstract Introduction/Objective Access to clinical pathology services nationwide is threatened by the lack of an annual inflationary update for physician reimbursement from the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS). Most recently, the 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) implemented an overall 2.0% reduction in pathology reimbursement. The effects of recent inflationary trends on clinical pathology physician reimbursement are unknown. Thus, our study sought to analyze trends in Medicare reimbursement rates from 2004 to 2024 for clinical pathology procedures. Methods/Case Report The Physician Fee Schedule Look-Up Tool from the CMS was queried for the top 30 CPT codes utilized, and physician reimbursement data extracted. Monetary data was subsequently adjusted for inflation utilizing the Consumer Price Index and reported in 2024 US dollars. The average annual and total percent change in reimbursement were calculated for included procedures. A subset analysis was conducted to assess physician pathology clinical consultation services average annual and total percent change in reimbursement pre- and post- 2022 MPFS Update. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) was calculated using 2024 and 2000 inflation- adjusted monetary data. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) Prior to adjusting for inflation, the average physician reimbursement decreased by 6.8% from 2004 to 2024 for included clinical pathology CPT codes. After adjusting for inflation, the average physician reimbursement decreased by 44.0% for included CPT codes. The greatest decrease in reimbursement observed from 2004 to 2024 was for flow cytometry interpretation, 2-8 minutes at 69.5% ($114.44 to $34.95) followed by flow cytometry interpretation, 9-15 minutes at 57.8% ($142.77 to $60.25) and flow cytometry interpretation, &amp;gt;16 minutes at 56.6% ($188.05 to $81.55). The average CAGR was -2.86%. Prior to adjusting for inflation, the average physician reimbursement for clinical pathology consultation services pre-2022 decreased by 0.9%, and when adjusted for inflation, decreased by 30.0%. Post-2022 MPFS revision, the average physician reimbursement for clinical pathology consultation services decreased by 3.5%, and when adjusted for inflation, decreased by 12.2%. The average CAGR pre-2022 was -2.0% and post-2022 was -4.3%. Conclusion Medicare physician reimbursement for common clinical pathology procedures is decreasing at an untenable rate annually. It is critical that policymakers understand these trends to ensure continued access to quality clinical pathology care at healthcare institutions.

Medicare Reimbursement and Utilization Trends Within Skull Base Surgery

Medicare reimbursements for otolaryngology and neurosurgery procedures have generally declined since 2000. We explore Medicare reimbursement trends for anterior cranial fossa, middle cranial fossa, posterior cranial fossa, pituitary surgery, and skull base reconstruction surgery from 2000-2022. Cross-sectional analysis of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Physician Fee Schedule was performed from 2000-2022 on approach, resection, and repair of the skull base (Current Procedural Terminology codes 31290-31291, 61546, 61548, 61575-61619, and 62165). Reimbursement data were adjusted for inflation to 2022 U.S. dollars, and annual and total changes calculated. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Part B National Summary Data File was analyzed for trends in Medicare procedure volume and total payment. Adjusted for inflation since 2000, reimbursements for anterior cranial fossa, middle cranial fossa, posterior cranial fossa, pituitary surgery, and skull base reconstruction codes had an overall decrease of 22.85%, 32.43%, 28.09%, 44.22%, and 38.65%, respectively. Simultaneously, procedure volume increased at an average annual rate of 63.99%, 128.57%, 19.75%, 36.11%, and 12.79%, respectively. While nominal per-service Medicare reimbursement has increased for skull base surgery codes, there has been a downward trend in inflation-adjusted procedural reimbursement. This parallels findings in other otolaryngology and neurosurgery procedures. Despite this, surgical volume in all skull base surgery subfields has increased, indicating increased utility and adoption of these techniques.

The comprehensive value of the modern vascular surgeon to the orthopedic surgery service

ObjectiveOrthopedic surgery is among the highest compensated specialties in modern practice. Vascular surgeons are consulted frequently during orthopedic operations, however, the comprehensive value of the vascular surgery service to the safe delivery of orthopedic care has not been characterized previously. MethodsElectronic medical records were retrospectively queried for all operations performed by orthopedic surgeons requiring operative vascular surgical consultation from June 2013 to December 2023. Data were collected on case-specific details, reasons for consultation, and total charges. Work relative value units were calculated for each primary orthopedic procedure using the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services physician fee schedule. ResultsA total of 952 operative vascular surgery consultations were required over the study period. Consults were requested by 56 orthopedic surgeons across all eight orthopedic subspecialties at our institution. Operative vascular consultation was requested across 108 different procedure types. A total of 94 consults (9.9%) were emergent, intraoperative requests, with the remaining 858 consults (90.1%) occurring in the preoperative setting. The most common causes for consultation included surgical exposure (n = 832 [87.4%]), inadvertent bleeding (n = 44 [4.6%]), need for bypass (n = 12 [1.3%]), and acute limb ischemia (n = 11 [1.2%]). Total charges for all operative consultations exceeded $91.5 million, and the calculated total work relative value units for all primary orthopedic procedures was 19,384.5. A total of 54 cases (5.7%) occurred after hours, on a weekend, or both. ConclusionsVascular surgeons are integral to the provision of orthopedic surgical services, inclusive of all orthopedic subspecialties, for both the prevention and treatment of iatrogenic vascular injury. The around-the-clock availability of a vascular surgeon enables the orthopedic surgery department to generate significant revenue for the hospital system. These findings are important to the ongoing discussions regarding the value and compensation of the modern vascular surgeon.

Trends in payments for facility and surgeon professional fees for shoulder surgeries performed at ambulatory surgery centers

It has previously been demonstrated that utilization of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) results in cost savings and improved outcomes. Despite these benefits, Medicare reimbursement for professional fees at ASCs are decreasing over time. In this study, we sought to analyze the discrepancy between facility fee and professional fee reimbursements for ASCs by Medicare for common shoulder procedures over time. We hypothesized that professional fees for shoulder procedures would decrease over the study period while facility fees kept pace with inflation. Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes were used to identify shoulder specific procedures approved for ASCs by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Procedures were grouped into arthroscopic and open categories. Publicly available data from CMS was accessed via the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Lookup Tool and used to determine professional fee payments from 2018-2024. Additionally, Medicare ASC Payment Rates files were accessed to determine facility fee reimbursements to ASCs from 2018-2024. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate means and percent change over time. Compound annual growth rates (CAGR) were calculated and discrepancies in inflation were corrected for using the Consumer Price Index. The Benjamini and Hochberg method was used to correct P values in the setting of multiple comparisons. A total of 33 common shoulder procedures were included for analysis (10 arthroscopic codes and 23 open codes). Reimbursements for facility fees have remained significantly higher than corresponding professional fees for both open and arthroscopic procedures (p<0.01). On average, facility fee reimbursements for common shoulder surgeries have risen on an annual basis in a manner consistent with inflation (p=0.838). However, professional fees for these procedures have experienced a nearly uniform decline over the study period both nominally and in inflation-adjusted dollars (p=0.064 and p=0.005, respectively). Facility fee payments for outpatient approved shoulder surgeries have matched or outpaced inflation. Over the same time period, professional fee reimbursements for surgeons are consistently decreasing, both in absolute and inflation-adjusted dollars. Reform to the physician fee schedule is necessary to ensure that Medicare patients retain access to high-quality physician care.

Medicaid Reimbursement for Common Orthopedic Trauma Procedures is 16.0% Less Compared to Medicare with Substantial Variability Between States.

This study seeks to evaluate the variability of Medicaid reimbursement and compare it to Medicare reimbursement using the 20 most commonly billed orthopedic trauma CPT codes nationwide. The authors anticipate significant variability between states and hypothesize that Medicaid payment will be significantly less than Medicare payment. The top 20 most common orthopedic trauma surgery procedural codes were identified from a previous analysis performed by Haglin et al.1 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services physician fee schedule was used to determine reimbursement rates from Medicare, and state Medicaid fee schedules were used to determine reimbursement rates for Medicaid. State Medicaid rates were compared to their corresponding Medicare rates to determine a dollar difference. Additionally, the dollar difference for each CPT code was divided by its respective physician relative value unit (RVU). This was utilized to acknowledge the possible variability in the complexity of orthopedic procedures and the related physician effort. The Medicare Wage Index was used to adjust Medicaid rates based on the cost of living for the state as well. Coefficients of variation were calculated to represent overall variability in Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement rates. The mean reimbursement rates for Medicaid were lower for all 20 procedures compared to Medicare. On average, Medicaid reimbursed 16.0% less than Medicare, and 29.6% less when adjusting for cost-of-living. MCD reimbursed at a higher rate than MCR for all procedures in only nine states (Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, and North Dakota, and South Dakota) while 38 states reimbursed at a lower rate than MCR, on average. The coefficient of variation ranged from 0.24 to 0.34 for the Medicaid unadjusted group and from 0.35 to 0.46 for the Medicare Wage-Index adjusted group. In contrast, the Medicare group was consistent at 0.06 for all 20 procedures. The average dollar difference across the 20 CPT codes for Medicaid reimbursement compared to Medicare ranged from -$76.89 to -$225.17, and the dollar difference per relative value unit ranged from -$5.96 to -$15.16. This study found a high amount of variation between state Medicaid reimbursement rates and average rates that were significantly lower than Medicare reimbursement rates for the top twenty most utilized orthopedic trauma CPT codes as identified by Haglin et al. The discrepancy in reimbursement was increased when Medicaid rates were adjusted for state cost-of-living. Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Imaging for breast pain: A useful paradigm to promote breast cancer screening and reduce unnecessary breast imaging

ObjectiveIdentify the proportion of patients presenting for diagnostic breast imaging with clinically insignificant breast pain who are eligible for screening mammography and analyze the impact of routing these patients to screening on resource utilization, healthcare spending and cancer detection. MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed 100 consecutive women ≥40 years old without a history of breast cancer who underwent diagnostic mammogram and breast ultrasound for clinically insignificant breast pain from 1/2022 to 4/2022. Patients were screen-eligible if their last bilateral mammogram was over 12 months prior to presentation. Patients with only screening views during diagnostic mammography were assumed to have a negative/benign screening mammogram. Costs were calculated using the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Physician Fee Schedule. Results68 of 100 patients with breast pain were screen-eligible at time of diagnostic imaging. With a screen first approach, 47/68 would have had negative/benign screening mammograms, allowing for the availability of 47 diagnostic breast imaging appointments. The current workflow led to 100 diagnostic mammograms and ultrasounds, 29 follow-up ultrasounds, and 10 image-guided biopsies, with a total cost of $42,872.41. With a screen first approach, there would have been 68 screening mammograms, 53 diagnostic mammograms and ultrasounds, 10 follow-up ultrasounds, and 9 image-guided biopsies, with a total cost of $34,231.60. Two cancers were identified, both associated with suspicious mammographic findings. None would have been missed in a screen-first approach. DiscussionIdentifying screen-eligible patients with clinically insignificant breast pain and routing them to screening mammogram improves radiology resource allocation and decreases healthcare spending without missing any cancers.

Medicaid Reimbursement for Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty: A State-by-State Analysis Compared With Medicare

BackgroundMedicare (MCR) reimbursement for arthroplasty procedures has been declining, but little has been reported on Medicaid (MCD) reimbursement. We sought to determine MCD reimbursement rates using state MCD data for nine arthroplasty procedure codes and compare them to MCR rates. MethodsThe Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services physician fee schedule was used to collect MCR reimbursement rates, and state MCD fee schedules were accessed to collect MCD rates for nine procedures encompassing primary and revision hip and knee arthroplasty surgery. State MCR and MCD rates were compared to determine the mean dollar difference and dollar difference per relative value unit. A cost of living adjustment was performed using the Medicare Wage Index for each state. Coefficients of variation were calculated for each state to determine overall variability between the two systems. ResultsThe mean reimbursement rates for MCD were lower for eight of the nine codes used in the study. Medicaid reimbursed physicians an average of 11.3% less overall and 23.1% less when adjusted for cost of living. The amount of variability in the MCR rates was low with a consistent coefficient of variation of 0.06, but was higher in the MCD rates with a range of 0.26 to 0.29 in the unadjusted rates and 0.34 to 0.37 in the adjusted rates. There was a mean $6.73 decreased reimbursement per relative value unit for MCD procedures. ConclusionsFor the most common arthroplasty procedures, MCD reimbursed physicians less than MCR on average. MCD also demonstrated increased variability when compared to MCR rates between states.

The Road To Value Can't Be Paved With A Broken Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.

Value-based payment has been promoted for increasing quality, controlling spending, and improving patient and practitioner experience. Meanwhile, needed reforms to fee-for-service payment (the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule) have been ignored as policy makers seek to move payment toward alternatives, even though the fee schedule is an intrinsic part of Alternative Payment Models. In this article, we show how value-based payment and the fee schedule should be viewed as complementary, rather than as separate silos. We trace the origins of embedded flaws in the fee schedule that must be fixed if value-based payment is to succeed. These include payment distortions that directly compromise value by overpaying for certain procedures and imaging services while underpaying for services that add value for beneficiaries. We also show how the fee schedule can accommodate bundled payments and population-based payments that are central to Alternative Payment Models. We draw two conclusions. First, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services should correct misvalued services and establish a hybrid payment for primary care that blends fee-for-service and population-based payment. Second, Congress should alter the thirty-five-year-old statutory basis for setting Medicare fees to allow CMS to explicitly consider policy priorities such as workforce shortages in refining fee levels.

Defining the Value of Vascular Surgery Service at a Tertiary Academic Medical Center

BackgroundVascular surgeons play a critical role in the functioning of a healthcare system. As a service line, vascular surgery not only performs its own complex operations but also provides support to other surgical specialties by assisting in the management of vascular-related complications. Previous reports have acknowledged the value of consulting vascular surgeons; however, these studies have primarily been limited to single-center series. In this study, we aim to contribute to the existing literature by sharing our experience and highlighting the financial value of consulting vascular surgeons at a large tertiary academic medical center. MethodsInstitutional electronic medical records were retrospectively queried for all operations performed by vascular surgeons from 2020-2022. Two separate procedural groups were identified. The first group comprised all surgeries where vascular surgery was listed as a co-surgeon for other surgical specialties. The second group comprised all surgeries where vascular surgery was the primary surgeon for service-level cases. Service cases were defined as operations resulting directly from (1) iatrogenic complications from other services, (2) consultations for traumatic injury, or (3) primary surgeon for non-vascular cases. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician Fee Schedule was used to calculate work relative value units (wRVU) per primary procedure code. ResultsA total of 7821 surgeries were performed with vascular involvement over the study period. Of these, 726 operations (9.3%) were co-surgeon cases requiring intraoperative vascular assistance, from 109 surgeons across all 16 surgical specialties. There was no missing data. The most common specialties requesting vascular assistance included cardiac surgery (n=247, 34.0%), orthopedic surgery (n=152, 20.9%), and neurosurgery (n=131, 18.0%). Total procedural wRVU for co-surgeon cases was 16,220, and total charges exceeded $77.5 million dollars. Vascular surgery served in a primary surgeon role in an additional 154 service-level cases (2.0%) resulting from ten non-surgical services. The most common service-level indication was iatrogenic vascular injury (n=87, 56.4%), and the majority of service-level cases required urgent or emergent surgery (n=123, 79.9%). These procedures generated an additional 2,150 wRVU and $1.1 million dollars in charges for the hospital system. Of all co-surgeon or service-level cases, 19.1% (n=168) occurred after-hours and 10.3% (n=91) occurred on a holiday or weekend. ConclusionVascular surgery is crucial to the operation of all surgical services and many non-surgical service lines within an academic medical center. Apart from providing essential services for primary vascular diseases, the vascular surgery service line offers substantial financial benefits to the healthcare system through its consulting role. A considerable portion of operative consultations are performed under urgent or emergent circumstances, often necessitating surgical intervention outside regular working hours or on holidays/weekends. These findings have significant implications for assessing the value and compensation of vascular surgeons in today's healthcare landscape.

The work relative value estimation assessment in China: an empirical research for common surgical procedures.

China's National Health Service Items Standard (NHSIS) establishes a relative value system and plays an important role in pricing. However, there are few empirical evaluations of the objectivity of the NHSIS-estimated relative value. This paper presents a comparison between physician work relative value units (wRVUs) estimates for 70 common surgical procedures from NHSIS and those from the U.S. Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). We defined the ratio of the wRVUs for sample procedures to the benchmark procedure (inguinal hernia repair) as a standardized relative value unit (SRVU), which was used to standardize the data for both schedules. We examined the variances in the ranking and quantification of SRVUs across specialties and procedures, as well as how SRVUs impact procedure reimbursement prices between the two schedules. There was no systematic difference between MHSIS-estimated SRVUs and MPFS-estimated, but the dispersion of MPFS-estimated SRVU was greater than that of MHSIS-estimated, and the discrepancies increased with surgical risk and technical complexity. The discrepancies of SRVUs were significant in cardiothoracic procedures. Additionally, whether SRVUs were based on MPFS or MHSIS, there was a positive association between them and payment prices. However, in terms of the impact of SRVUs on payment pricing, the NHSIS system was lower than the MPFS system. China has made incremental progress in estimating the relative value of healthcare services, but there are shortcomings in valuation methods and their impact on pricing. The modular assessment method should be considered as a component to optimize reform.

Prescription drug, healthcare utilization, and lost earnings cost of behavioral interventions for fear of cancer recurrence in breast cancer survivors.

e24095 Background: Breast cancer survivors experience distress due to the fear of cancer recurrence. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can treat the fear of cancer recurrence. However, no study has applied economic evaluation methods to estimate ACT and CBT behavioral intervention costs for breast cancer survivors. Methods: 384 adult stage I-IIIA breast cancer survivors with fear of cancer recurrence were randomly assigned to either the ACT (n = 128), CBT (n = 128), or enhanced usual care (EUC, n = 128) groups. Through micro-costing, we assessed the societal perspective cost of behavioral interventions using 2022 dollars. Per-capita drug costs, healthcare utilization, and lost productivity were calculated using participant survey data. Drug costs were estimated using Micromedex’s Red Book wholesale unit price. The 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for Indiana estimated healthcare utilization costs from outpatient, inpatient, and emergency visits. Lost productivity costs included work loss, productivity loss, and unpaid work loss, valued by Indiana's mean hourly wage. We assessed the cost differences between baseline (T1) and after the 6-week intervention period (T2). We evaluated between-group differences with Bonferroni's tests for each pairwise group comparison and within-group differences with a paired t-test at a p-value of &lt; 0.05. Results: The mean total per-capita cost change from T1 to T2 in the ACT, CBT, and EUC groups was -$563, -$1622, and -$981, respectively (Table 1). This cost reduction stemmed from drug and healthcare utilization. There was no significant between-group difference in total cost at T1 or T2 and no significant between-group or within-group cost change from T1 to T2. Conclusions: Our cost estimates will be updated at 6 and 12 months of intervention and combined with changes in quality of life and mental health metrics to assess the cost-effectiveness of ACT and CBT for fear of breast cancer recurrence. Clinical trial information: NCT05364450 . [Table: see text]

Trends of Medicare Reimbursement Rates for Gender-Affirming Surgery Procedures.

Awareness of Medicare reimbursement is important for gender-affirming surgeons who treat transgender patients with Medicare. In 2014, Medicare began to provide coverage for medically necessary transition-related surgery. The purpose of this study was to analyze trends in Medicare reimbursement rates for gender-affirming surgery procedures from 2014 to 2022. The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Look-Up Tool provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services was used, and the Current Procedural Terminology codes for 43 gender-affirming surgery services were obtained. Monetary units, conversion factors, relative value units (RVUs) for work, facility, and malpractice costs for 30 transmasculine and 13 transfeminine procedures were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were performed to account for inflation and to determine the relative differences between 2014 and 2022. For all gender-affirming surgery procedures covered by Medicare, the average relative difference of monetary units decreased by 2.99% between 2014 and 2022. On average, there was a 3.97% decrease of work-based RVU charges for transmasculine procedures and a 1.73% decrease of work-based RVU charges for transfeminine procedures. After adjusting for inflation, the average relative difference of monetary units for all gender-affirming surgery procedures decreased by 23.42% between 2014 and 2022. Reimbursement rates for gender-affirming surgery procedures covered under Medicare have decreased over the observed period, and trends in reimbursement rates have not kept up with consumer price index inflation. Gender-affirming surgeons should be conscious of these changes in reimbursement rates and advocate for fairer compensation to promote medical care among an underserved population.

Declining Inflation-Adjusted Medicare Physician Fees: An Unsustainable Trend in Hip Arthroscopy.

Although hip arthroscopy continues to be one of the most used arthroscopic procedures, no focused, comprehensive evaluation of reimbursement trends has been conducted. The purpose of this study was to analyze the temporal Medicare reimbursement trends for hip arthroscopy procedures. From 2011 to 2021, the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Look-Up Tool was queried for Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes related to hip arthroscopy (29860 to 29863, 29914 to 29916). All monetary data were adjusted to 2021 US dollars. The compound annual growth rate and total percentage change were calculated. Mann-Kendall trend tests were used to evaluate the reimbursement trends. Based on the unadjusted values, a significant increase in physician fee was observed from 2011 to 2021 for CPT codes 29861 (removal of loose or foreign bodies; % change: 3.49, P = 0.03) and 29862 (chondroplasty, abrasion arthroplasty, labral resection; % change: 3.19, P = 0.03). The remaining CPT codes experienced no notable changes in reimbursement based on the unadjusted values. After adjusting for inflation, all seven of the hip arthroscopy CPT codes were observed to experience a notable decline in Medicare reimbursement. Hip arthroscopy with acetabuloplasty (CPT: 29915) and labral repair (CPT: 29916) exhibited the greatest reduction in reimbursement with a decrease in physician fee of 24.69% ( P < 0.001) and 24.64% ( P < 0.001), respectively, over the study period. Medicare reimbursement for all seven of the commonly used hip arthroscopy services did not keep up with inflation, demonstrating marked reductions from 2011 to 2021. Specifically, the inflation-adjusted reimbursements decreased between 19.23% and 24.69% between 2011 and 2021.

(241) Optimizing Care - Economic Impact of Reduced Teaching Visits After IPP Implantation

Abstract Introduction The increasing shortage of urologists has resulted in longer wait times for appointments and surgeries, causing delays in receiving care that may negatively impact quality-of-life, especially for erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment. Urologists specializing in inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) implantation are familiar with such challenges and utilize various approaches to improve practice efficiency, including optimizing IPP teaching visits and post-operative care. Objective This study assessed whether reducing the number of IPP teaching visits within the immediate 90-day post-operative period may improve efficiency and enhance patient care amongst urology practices. Methods Using American Medical Association (AMA) resource-based relative value scale (RBRVS) data for IPP implantation [Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) 54405], a scenario analysis was constructed that assessed the effects on patient care and physician reimbursement of eliminating one 30-minute post-operative teaching visit (CPT 99213) from the average of 2.5 visits accounted for within the immediate 90-day postoperative period for CPT 54405 in RBRVS data. The efficiency impact on practices which perform 25, 50, or 100 IPP implants, annually, was modeled. The effects on patient access to care, by reapplying the time recaptured from the reduction in teaching visits, were evaluated under three scenarios: 1) the most frequent in-office CPT codes used by IPP implanters [from Definitive Healthcare 2021 commercial and Medicare claims], 2) evaluation and management of new ED patients who pursue/receive an IPP [CPT 99204 + 3x CPT 99214], and, as a control measure, 3) vasectomy procedures [CPT 55250]. Physician work time and reimbursement were conservatively estimated using 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Changes to reimbursement if Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) in the urology practice provided post-operative IPP teaching were also modeled (data not shown). Results The reduction of one 30-minute post-operative IPP teaching visit for practices performing 25/50 / 100 IPP implants resulted in recapturing 750 /1,500/3,000 minutes annually, respectively. Applying this recaptured time to 1) commonly performed in-office visit types or procedures (Table 1), 2) evaluation and management of new ED patients, or 3) vasectomy translated to significant additional Medicare reimbursement, as high as $18,325 annually. At 25 IPP implants yearly, a urologist could care for an additional 13-25 patients through office visits, reaching $2,049-$2,270 in additional annual Medicare reimbursement. At 50 IPP implants yearly, clinical workups for 7 ED patients who go on to IPP implantation can result in an additional $4,125 of reimbursement, excluding any reimbursement from additional diagnostic procedures and/or downstream surgical cases. At 100 IPP implants yearly, recaptured schedule capacity can enable 37 patients for vasectomy care, resulting in a $12,563 reimbursement. Conclusions Regardless of IPP implant volume, practices optimizing care and achieving fewer post-operative IPP teaching visits gain additional schedule capacity that may serve more patients in the office and, potentially, the ability to treat more men with ED, including IPP implantation. These time savings and gains in practice efficiency enable implanters to manage patient demand and workload more effectively amidst the scarcity of urologists and growing wait times for care, while also helping ensure practice viability in the era of decreasing reimbursement. Disclosure Yes, this is sponsored by industry/sponsor: Boston Scientific - Data Acquisition, Statistical Support. Clarification: Industry funding only - investigator initiated and executed study. Any of the authors act as a consultant, employee or shareholder of an industry for: Boston Scientific.

The Evaluation of Payment for Obstetric and Gynecology Services: From ACOG.

To perform an environmental scan of the current status of reimbursement for obstetric and gynecology services and identify problematic issues and opportunities for change. The areas that were evaluated include the American Medical Association (AMA) relative value unit assignment process, payer rates (where available), and trends in employment and salary determination for obstetrician-gynecologists (ob-gyns). This report was developed by members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' (ACOG) Committee on Health Economics and Coding using public-facing payment data from the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and state Medicaid programs, as well as published research and commentary on payment for physicians, maternal health, and gynecologic surgery. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were used to describe typical patient characteristics, and practice survey reports from the AMA were analyzed. Finally, an anonymous online survey was distributed to 27,854 members of ACOG in March 2022, with a response rate of 10.8% (3,018 members) and a CI of ±1.7%. The evaluation found that payment for ob-gyns is heavily influenced by the values and rates set by third-party payers, a patient case-mix that includes a higher-than-average number of patients with Medicaid insurance, and the increase of employed physicians reliant on salary contracts that include productivity requirements and bonuses. The Committee identified action items, including payment reform for obstetric services; advocating for gynecologic surgery time as a priority for hospital administration; developing resources to assist employed physicians with payment, practice, and business management; developing a business and coding curriculum for students and early-career physicians; and continued advocacy with private and public policymakers who influence physician payment.

A Relative Value Unit–Based Model for Targeted Nipple–Areola Complex Neurotization in Gender-Affirming Mastectomy

Background: For transmasculine individuals, double-incision mastectomy with free nipple grafts is the most common procedure for gender-affirming chest masculinization. However, patients report decreased sensation postoperatively. Direct coaptation of intercostal nerves to the nipple–areolar complex (NAC) is an experimental technique that may preserve postoperative sensation, yet whether reimbursements and billing codes incentivize hospital systems and surgeons to offer this procedure lacks clarity. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of fiscal year 2023 Medicare physician fee schedule values was performed for neurotization procedures employing Current Procedural Terminology codes specified by prior studies for neurotization of the NAC. Additionally, operative times for gender-affirming mastectomy at a single center were examined to compare efficiency between procedures with and without neurotization included. Results: A total of 29 encounters were included in the study, with 11 (37.9%) receiving neurotization. The mean operating time was 100.3 minutes (95% CI, 89.2–111.5) without neurotization and 154.2 minutes (95% CI, 139.9–168.4) with neurotization. In 2023, the average work relative value units (wRVUs) for neurotization procedures was 13.38. Efficiency for gender-affirming mastectomy was 0.23 wRVUs per minute without neurotization and 0.24 wRVUs per minute with neurotization, yielding a difference of 0.01 wRVUs per minute. Conclusions: Neurotization of the NAC during double-incision mastectomy with free nipple grafts is an experimental technique that may improve patient sensation after surgery. Current reimbursement policy appropriately values the additional operative time associated with neurotization relative to gender-affirming mastectomy alone.

State-to-State Variation in Medicaid Reimbursement for Neurosurgical Procedures: Implications for Healthcare Access in Vulnerable Populations.

Medicaid payment for healthcare services traditionally reimburses less than Medicare and commercial insurance. This disparity in reimbursement seems to be an important driver of limited access to care among Medicaid beneficiaries. This study seeks to examine the degree of variation in Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement for the most common neurosurgical current procedural terminology codes and determine its potential impact on provider accessibility. In this cross-sectional study, maximum allowed physician reimbursement fees for 20 common neurosurgical codes reported in the literature were obtained from the 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and individual state Medicaid Fee-for-Service Schedules. The Medicaid-Medicare Index (MMI), which measures Medicaid reimbursement as a fraction of Medicare allowed amounts, was calculated for each procedure across 49 states and the District of Columbia. Lower MMI indicates a greater disparity, or "discount," between Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement. The proportion of providers accepting new Medicaid patients and total Medicaid enrollment were compared across states as a function of MMI. The average national MMI was 0.79, with a range of 0.37 in NY/NJ to 1.43 in NE. Maximum allowed amounts for Medicare reimbursement (coefficient of variation = 0.09) were less variable than those for Medicaid (coefficient of variation = 0.26, P < .01). The largest absolute disparity was observed for intracranial aneurysm clipping in NY, where the maximum Medicaid reimbursement is $3496.52 less than that of Medicare. Higher MMI was associated with a significantly larger proportion of providers accepting new Medicaid patients (R2 = 0.43, P < .01). Moreover, MMI varied inversely with the number of Medicaid beneficiaries (R2 = 0.12, P = .01). Medicaid reimbursement varies between states reflecting the disparate methods of fee schedule calculation. Lower reimbursement is associated with more limited provider enrollment, especially in states with a greater number of beneficiaries.

Trends in Medicare Reimbursements for Commonly Performed Laryngeal Procedures from 2000 to 2021.

Numerous studies among different specialties have suggested that inflation-adjusted Medicare reimbursements have steadily declined in the last few decades. The objective of this study is to investigate whether this is true within the field of laryngology. Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician Fee Schedule. 2000-2021 fees for laryngeal surgeries (Current Procedural Terminology [CPT] codes 31530, 31531, 31535, 31536, 31540, 31541, 31545, 31546, 31551-31554, 31560, 31561, 31570), and laryngectomies (CPTs 31360, 31365, 31367, 31368, 31370, 31375, 31380, 31382, 31390, 31395) were gathered. United States consumer price index (CPI) was used to adjust all gathered data for inflation to 2021 US dollars. During the study period, unadjusted reimbursement for non-facility and facility laryngeal surgeries decreased an average of 6.1% and 6.6%, respectively. When adjusting for inflation, non-facility and facility laryngeal surgeries saw an average decrease of 17.8% (p < 0.001) and 28.5% (p < 0.001), respectively. Unadjusted reimbursement for facility laryngectomies saw an average increase of 40.2%, correlating to an inflation-adjusted decline of 8.9% (p < 0.001). Among laryngeal procedures overall, there was an average nominal increase of 17.0%, correlating to a 20.3% inflation-adjusted decline. In terms of inflation-adjusted dollars, reimbursements for laryngeal procedures have seen a large decrease in the last two decades. Understanding reimbursement trends is critical for sustainability of otolaryngology practices, and can be used by surgeons, hospital systems, and policymakers to guide future healthcare legislation.