Orthopedic Surgeons Fees Versus Reimbursements
Dear Colleagues:
Please find enclosed an article published in 1999 in a journal called Medical Economics. The title of the article is “Orthopedic Surgeons/ fees versus reimbursement: The gap widens.” This article was sent to me by Dr. Jon Ticker, and it underscores that the more things change the more they stay the same. In the 26 years since this article was published, we continue to face the reality that we, the providers, remain victims of a system which reduces our value by paying for a service and not the value of the service. In fact, if we compare our current reimbursement by Medicare/Medicaid and most non-governmental insurance plans to past reimbursement, we are paid less in dollar value today than 26 years ago. In fact, if you are like me, and over time you improve the outcome of your care, you are providing more value to patients at an increasing discount.
I hope you find this article of interest as we often forget to view the current times in context of history. What do you think? Please go to our LinkedIn page or our WhatsApp group to comment.
Kind Regards,
Jon “JP” Warner MD
Founder, CSS
Comments