Charalampos Siotos1, Michael A Cheah1, George Damoulakis1, Jonathan Kelly1, Kalliopi Siotou1, Loren S Schechter1, Deana S Shenaq1, Gordon H Derman1, Amir H Dorafshar1. 1. From the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Rush University Medical Center; the Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago; the Royal Liverpool University Hospital; the School of Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; and the Center for Gender Confirmation Surgery, Weiss Memorial Hospital.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Knowledge of Medicare reimbursement is essential for plastic surgeons providing care to Medicare beneficiaries. The authors sought to evaluate changes in Medicare reimbursement for common plastic surgery procedures from 2010 to 2020. METHODS: The authors assessed the Physician Fee Schedule of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services website. Rates of work-, facility-, or malpractice-related relative value units and total monetary units for 26 common plastic surgery procedures between 2010 and 2020 were evaluated. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate relative differences and to compare observed changes over time with the rate of inflation. RESULTS: For the selected procedures, the authors found an average relative difference in terms of monetary units of an increase by 2.02 percent. However, after adjusting for inflation, the average relative difference was a decrease by 14.31 percent. The authors' analysis indicates that, on average, there was a 1.55 percent decrease in physician relative value units between 2010 and 2020. CONCLUSIONS: Medicare reimbursement rates have changed significantly over the past decade. However, these changes did not keep pace with the rate of inflation. Plastic surgeons should be aware of these trends and advocate for more fair reimbursement rates.
BACKGROUND: Knowledge of Medicare reimbursement is essential for plastic surgeons providing care to Medicare beneficiaries. The authors sought to evaluate changes in Medicare reimbursement for common plastic surgery procedures from 2010 to 2020. METHODS: The authors assessed the Physician Fee Schedule of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services website. Rates of work-, facility-, or malpractice-related relative value units and total monetary units for 26 common plastic surgery procedures between 2010 and 2020 were evaluated. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate relative differences and to compare observed changes over time with the rate of inflation. RESULTS: For the selected procedures, the authors found an average relative difference in terms of monetary units of an increase by 2.02 percent. However, after adjusting for inflation, the average relative difference was a decrease by 14.31 percent. The authors' analysis indicates that, on average, there was a 1.55 percent decrease in physician relative value units between 2010 and 2020. CONCLUSIONS: Medicare reimbursement rates have changed significantly over the past decade. However, these changes did not keep pace with the rate of inflation. Plastic surgeons should be aware of these trends and advocate for more fair reimbursement rates.
Authors: Maya T Harrington; Lyndsay A Kandi; Javier Janbieh; Jordan R Pollock; Danielle A Thornburg; Michael A Howard; Chad M Teven Journal: Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open Date: 2022-08-24
Authors: Daniel Mehrabian; Ivan Z Liu; Haig H Pakhchanian; Omar H Tarawneh; Rahul Raiker; Carter J Boyd Journal: J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg Date: 2021-12-03 Impact factor: 3.022