Billing and Utilization Trends in Reconstructive Microsurgery Indicate Worsening Access to Care

Conclusion Our analysis of microsurgical procedures billed to Medicare Part B from 2013 to 2020 showed that hospital charges are increasing at a faster rate than reimbursements. This may be in part due to increasing physician expenses, cost of advanced technology in microsurgical procedures, and inadequate reimbursement rates. Regardless, these increased markups may limit patients who are economically disadvantaged from accessing care. Policy makers should consider legislation aimed at updating Medicare reimbursement rates to reflect the increasing complexity and cost associated with microsurgical procedures, as well as regulating charge markups at the hospital level. [...] Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc. 333 Seventh Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10001, USAArticle in Thieme eJournals: Table of contents  |  Abstract  |  Full text

Source: Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery - December 18, 2023 Category: Surgery Authors: Koh, Daniel J. Gong, Jung Ho Sobti, Nikhil Mehrzad, Raman Beqiri, Dardan Ahn, Sophia Maselli, Amy Kwan, Daniel Tags: Original Article Source Type: research