Between 2000 and 2020, Reimbursement for Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgery Decreased by 30%
Jordan R. Pollock, M. Lane Moore, Jack M. Haglin, Matthew P. LeBlanc, Christian S. Rosenow, Justin L. Makovicka, David G. Deckey, Jeffrey D. Hassebrock, Joshua S. Bingham, Karan A. Patel
Abstract
Purpose: To examine and analyze Medicare reimbursement rates from 2000 to 2020 for orthopaedic foot and ankle procedures. Methods: The 20 most used orthopaedic foot and ankle surgical procedures were gathered from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website using the Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data Public Use File 2017. The reimbursement data for each code were gathered from The Physician Fee Schedule Look-Up Tool from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The reimbursement values were adjusted for inflation to 2020 U.S. dollars using the consumer price index. Results: The average inflation-adjusted reimbursement for included procedures decreased by 30% from 2000 to 2020. The greatest mean decreases were observed for "correction of hallux valgus" (-47%) and "partial excision of foot bone" (-41%). The procedures with the smallest mean decreases were observed in "treatment of "Amputation of toe" (-19%) and "closed treatment of metatarsal fracture" (-7%). Conclusions: From 2000 to 2020, Inflation-adjusted Medicare reimbursement for foot and ankle surgery decreased by 30%. Level of Evidence: IV; economic analysis.