Decreasing Medicare Utilization, Reimbursement, and Reimbursement-to-Charge Ratio of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery Procedures: 2010 to 2019.

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Citation: Annals of Plastic Surgery. 88(5):549-554, 2022 05 01.Annals of Plastic Surgery. 88(5):549-554, 2022 May 01.PMID: 34510080Institution: Curtis National Hand CenterForm of publication: Journal ArticleMedline article type(s): Journal ArticleSubject headings: *Reconstructive Surgical Procedures | *Surgeons | *Surgery, Plastic | Aged | Humans | Insurance, Health, Reimbursement | Medicare | United StatesYear: 2022ISSN:
  • 0148-7043
Name of journal: Annals of plastic surgeryAbstract: BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate recent trends in utilization, reimbursement, and charges for reconstructive plastic surgery procedures billed to Medicare.CONCLUSIONS: In the past decade, Medicare utilization and reimbursement for reconstructive plastic surgery procedures decreased, whereas charges increased. This resulted in decreasing reimbursement relative to charged amounts. These findings raise concerns regarding the economic viability of providing plastic surgery services to an aging population and may impact patients' ability to access affordable plastic surgical care. Copyright (c) 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.METHODS: We queried the Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for procedures billed by plastic surgeons to Medicare Part B between 2010 and 2019. We collected service counts, charges, and reimbursements. We adjusted utilization by Medicare enrollment and adjusted monetary values for inflation. We calculated the weighted mean charge and reimbursement, which were used to calculate the reimbursement-to-charge ratio (RCR). We examined trends over time by calculating differences and performing correlation analyses of utilization, charges, reimbursement, and RCR for all procedures and for different procedural categories.RESULTS: From 2010 to 2019, the overall enrollment-adjusted utilization for 912 reconstructive procedures decreased by 6.6% (r2 = 0.46). Utilization increased in certain procedural categories such as skin debridement (+36.9%, r2 = 0.48) and procedures of the breast (+114.9%, r2 = 0.48). Charges increased by 32.9% (r2 = 0.99), reimbursement decreased by 5.3% (r2 = 0.84), and RCR decreased by 28.7% (r2 = 0.99). Skin replacement/flaps/grafts procedures underwent the greatest relative decrease in reimbursement (-26.8%, r2 = 0.87). Reimbursement-to-charge ratio decreased for all procedural categories except for procedures of the auditory system.All authors: Bai G, Eltorai AEM, Giladi AM, Gong JH, Long C, Vervoort DOriginally published: Annals of Plastic Surgery. 2021 Sep 10Fiscal year: FY2022Digital Object Identifier: Date added to catalog: 2021-11-01
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Journal Article MedStar Authors Catalog Article 34510080 Available 34510080

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate recent trends in utilization, reimbursement, and charges for reconstructive plastic surgery procedures billed to Medicare.

CONCLUSIONS: In the past decade, Medicare utilization and reimbursement for reconstructive plastic surgery procedures decreased, whereas charges increased. This resulted in decreasing reimbursement relative to charged amounts. These findings raise concerns regarding the economic viability of providing plastic surgery services to an aging population and may impact patients' ability to access affordable plastic surgical care. Copyright (c) 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

METHODS: We queried the Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for procedures billed by plastic surgeons to Medicare Part B between 2010 and 2019. We collected service counts, charges, and reimbursements. We adjusted utilization by Medicare enrollment and adjusted monetary values for inflation. We calculated the weighted mean charge and reimbursement, which were used to calculate the reimbursement-to-charge ratio (RCR). We examined trends over time by calculating differences and performing correlation analyses of utilization, charges, reimbursement, and RCR for all procedures and for different procedural categories.

RESULTS: From 2010 to 2019, the overall enrollment-adjusted utilization for 912 reconstructive procedures decreased by 6.6% (r2 = 0.46). Utilization increased in certain procedural categories such as skin debridement (+36.9%, r2 = 0.48) and procedures of the breast (+114.9%, r2 = 0.48). Charges increased by 32.9% (r2 = 0.99), reimbursement decreased by 5.3% (r2 = 0.84), and RCR decreased by 28.7% (r2 = 0.99). Skin replacement/flaps/grafts procedures underwent the greatest relative decrease in reimbursement (-26.8%, r2 = 0.87). Reimbursement-to-charge ratio decreased for all procedural categories except for procedures of the auditory system.

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