Findings on Cholecystectomy Discussed by Investigators at Mayo Clinic Arizona (Comparison of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Reimbursement Rate and Medical Malpractice Insurance Premium Cost Across the Us From 2013 To 2023): Surgery – Cholecystectomy

2025 JUL 15 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health Policy and Law Daily -- Researchers detail new data in Surgery - Cholecystectomy. According to news reporting out of Phoenix, Arizona, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “Within the US, there has been an overall increase in cost of malpractice insurance for surgeons and decrease in federal reimbursement for surgical work. This study aimed to analyze state-to-state variability to understand differences in costs relative to reimbursement for surgeons and temporal trends.”

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Mayo Clinic Arizona, “This study uses publicly available data to conduct a cross-sectional evaluation of surgeon medical malpractice premium rates and surgical reimbursement between 2013 and 2023. Surgeon reimbursement was represented in terms of the unit reimbursement rate for laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). The ratio of surgeon reimbursement to malpractice cost was calculated and considered as the number of LCs required in each state to cover the cost of malpractice insurance. Inflation-adjusted reimbursement for LC decreased in all states with a mean decrease of 24%. Although there was an overall decrease in inflation-adjusted medical malpractice premium cost, some states experienced an increase of up to 22% (Rhode Island), whereas other states experienced a decrease in cost of 62% (Oregon). For the year 2023, there was significant variability in the number of LCs needed to afford malpractice insurance premiums across states, ranging from 21 (Minnesota) to 163 (Illinois). Rhode Island experienced the greatest increase in change from 2013 to 2023 (63%), whereas Oregon experienced the greatest decrease (50%). This study finds significant variation in Medicare-based surgeon compensation relative to malpractice insurance costs across the US.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “This discrepancy highlights the challenges faced by surgical practices due to inconsistent insurance cost and decreases in reimbursement rates.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Comparison of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Reimbursement Rate and Medical Malpractice Insurance Premium Cost Across the Us From 2013 To 2023. Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 2025;241(1):77-86. Journal of the American College of Surgeons can be contacted at: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Two Commerce Sq, 2001 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Journal of the American College of Surgeons - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-the-american-college-of-surgeons/)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Irving Jorge, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Dept. of General Surgery, Phoenix, AZ, United States. Additional authors for this research include Natasha A. Sioda, David Etzioni, Justin T. Brady, Zhi Ven Fong, Emily Thompson, Kenan Shawwaf, Kayla L. Haydon and Ga-ram Han.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1097/xcs.0000000000001376. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)