Researchers from Temple University Hospital & Medical School Discuss Findings in Managed Care [Dwindling Dollars: the Inflation-adjusted Decline of Medicare Reimbursement In Endocrine Surgery (2003-2023)]: Managed Care

Health Policy and Law Daily

2024 NOV 14 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Health Policy and Law Daily -- New research on Managed Care is the subject of a report. According to news reporting originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Medicare determines reimbursement rates for medical services, often setting a benchmark that is followed by private insurers. Across various medical specialties, decreases in Medicare reimbursement have been observed.”

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from Temple University Hospital & Medical School, “However, the extent of Medicare reimbursement for endocrine surgery remains unexplored. This study investigates the trajectory of reimbursement rates for endocrine surgical procedures. Data spanning 2003 to 2023 were gathered from the Physician Fee Schedule Look-Up Tool for 16 endocrine operations and procedures. Each operation’s or procedure’s relative value units and conversion factor, which accounts for geographic variation in relative value units, are determined annually by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The total annual Medicare reimbursement for each operation or procedure was determined by multiplying procedure-specific relative value units with the conversion factor. Raw yearly percentage changes in reimbursement were computed and compared to changes in the general consumer price index. All data were then corrected for inflation. The compound annual growth rate for each procedure was calculated using inflation-adjusted data. From 2003 to 2023, the mean unadjusted percentage change for all queried procedures was +14.14% (standard deviation 0.28). During this same time, the consumer price index increased by 69.15% (P < .001). After adjusting for inflation, the mean total adjusted percentage change for all queried procedures over the entire study period was -31% (standard deviation 0.17). The adjusted average yearly compound annual growth rate was -1.93% (standard deviation 0.92). Only 1 procedure showed an increase in reimbursement (image-guided fine-needle aspiration, +32%). Inflation-adjusted Medicare reimbursement rates for endocrine surgical procedures have consistently declined.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Stakeholders must address these trends to ensure access to quality surgical endocrine care in an evolving health care landscape.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Dwindling Dollars: the Inflation-adjusted Decline of Medicare Reimbursement In Endocrine Surgery (2003-2023). Surgery, 2024;176(5):1390-1395. Surgery can be contacted at: Mosby-elsevier, 360 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010-1710, USA. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Surgery - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/surgery/)

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Terry P. Gao, Temple University Hospital & Medical School, Dept. of General Surgery, 3401 N Broad St, 4TH Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19140, United States. Additional authors for this research include Kristen M. HoSang, Lindsay E. Kuo and Dianelys Tabla Cendra.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surg.2024.06.042. 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.