[Reimbursement of radiologically guided vascular interventions within the DRG-system: what will change?].

PURPOSE: To evaluate reimbursement within the DRG-system ("diagnosis-related groups") compared with traditional reimbursement for interventional therapy of hospitalized patients.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Reimbursement calculation was prospectively analyzed in two respects for 30 consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of the lower extremity arteries: (1) based on the DRG-system; (2) based on the traditional system. Additional evaluation was performed for five further, typical vascular procedures on the basis of real documentation and calculation data (stenting of the carotid artery, fibrinolytic therapy of basilar artery occlusion, stenting of renal artery stenosis, angioplasty of hemodialysis-shunt stenosis and aspiration thrombectomy of an infrapopliteal arterial occlusion).
RESULTS: In our hospital, the introduction of the DRG system would reduce reimbursement by approximately 1100 euro per PTA patient. However, the other vascular radiological procedures can be expected to increase the payments by up to 4500 euro.
CONCLUSION: To minimize imminent reduction of reimbursement for patients with peripheral PTA, complete documentation and economical patient management is mandatory. Payment may increase significantly for patients with the other reported vascular interventional procedures.