Studies from Department of Orthopedic Surgery Have Provided New Data on Medicare and Medicaid (Medicaid payer status is linked to increased rates of…

Studies from Department of Orthopedic Surgery Have Provided New Data on Medicare and Medicaid (Medicaid payer status is linked to increased rates of complications after treatment of proximal humerus fractures)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Managed Care Weekly Digest -- Investigators publish new report on Medicare and Medicaid. According to news reporting out of Taylor, Michigan, by NewsRx editors, research stated, "Low socioeconomic status and Medicaid insurance as a primary payer have been associated with major disparities in resource utilization and risk-adjusted outcomes for patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty. With the expansion of Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act in 2014, examination of these disparities has become increasingly relevant for the treatment of proximal humerus fracture (PHF)."

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, "The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was used to identify patients who were treated for PHF from 2002 to 2012. Primary outcomes included treatment type, surgical fixation method, in-hospital complications, mean length of stay, and mean total charges for Medicaid patients vs. a matched privately insured cohort. In an effort to minimize confounding variables, each Medicaid patient was matched to a privately insured patient on the basis of gender, race, year of procedure, and age. Of the 678,831 patients treated with PHF, 4.9% (33,263) had Medicaid as the primary payer during the 10-year period. Medicaid patients were found to have a significantly higher risk (P < .05) of postoperative in-hospital complications, including postoperative infection (odds ratio [OR], 2.00 [1.372.93]), wound complications (OR, 1.69 [1.04-2.75]), and acute respiratory distress syndrome (OR, 1.34 [1.15-1.59]). Medicaid patients have a significantly higher risk for certain postoperative hospital complications and consume more resources after treatment for PHFs."

According to the news editors, the research concluded: "Additional work is needed to understand the optimal treatment type for Medicaid patients and to understand the complex interplay between socioeconomic status and outcomes to ensure appropriate resource allocation and risk stratification."

For more information on this research see: Medicaid payer status is linked to increased rates of complications after treatment of proximal humerus fractures. Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, 2017;26(6):948-953. Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery can be contacted at: Mosby-Elsevier, 360 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010-1710, USA. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery - www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-shoulder-and-elbow-surgery/)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting V.J. Sabesan, Beaumont Hlth, Dept. of Orthopaed Surg, Taylor, MI, United States. Additional authors for this research include G. Petersen-Fitts, D. Lombardo, D. Briggs and J. Whaley (see also Medicare and Medicaid).

Keywords for this news article include: Taylor, Michigan, United States, North and Central America, Medicare and Medicaid, Medicaid, Surgery, Health Policy, Hospital, Department of Orthopedic Surgery.

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