Becker's Spine Review

32 PRACTICE MANAGEMENT New reimbursement codes for spine procedure: 3 things to know By Mackenzie Garrity CMS issued new Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System codes for RelievantMedsystems' Intracept Procedure, effective Jan. 1. Three things to know: 1. The new codes, C9752 and C9753, are assigned to Ambulatory Payment Classification 5115 with a 2019 hospital outpatient payment rate of approxi- mately $10,700. 2. Surgeons can also use the codes in the ambulatory surgery center setting. 3. RelievantMedsystems launched the Intracept Procedure in the U.S. in 2018. The minimally invasive surgery is designed to treat chronic lower back pain. n Illinois Bone & Joint Institute opens 25th location By Mackenzie Garrity Chicago-based Illinois Bone & Joint Institute opened a new practice in Crystal Lake, Ill. The Crystal Lake Physician and Rehab Clinic is the Illinois Bone & Joint Insti- tute's 25th location. Patients who visit the new clinic can receive ankle reconstruction, hip, knee, neck, cervical spine, sports medicine and pain management services, among others. The Illinois Bone & Joint Institute is one of the largest independent physi- cian-owned orthopedic practices in the U.S. with more than 100 board-certi- fied and fellowship-trained physicians. n Novant Health purchases former VA clinic to open $9.5M spine center: 3 notes By Mackenzie Garrity I n 2018, Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health acquired a former Vet- erans Affairs medical clinic in Winston-Salem for $9.5 million, according to the Winston-Salem Journal. Three notes: 1. The health system plans to turn the former VA clinic into a neurosciences and spine center. 2. Spanning 57,350 square feet, the new spine center is expected to open by late 2019. 3. Novant Health will move seven existing practices into the new spine center. It will feature physicians who specialize in spine surgery, brain surgery, mem- ory care, neurology, sleep, physician medicine and rehabilitation. n Planned orthopedic surgery cost $25B in 2017, up 44% in 7 years: 5 things to know By Laura Dyrda A new report from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association shows spending for planned orthopedic surgeries have grown significantly over the past decade. e organization examined medical claims data for members who underwent hip and knee surgery from 2010 to 2017. Five things to know: 1. From 2010 to 2017, spending on planned orthopedic surgeries increased 44 percent and accounted for 47 percent of all orthope- dic spending. e number of knee implants increased 6 percent and the number of hip implants increased 5 percent over the same time period. 2. e average price for inpatient knee im- plants in 2017 was $30,249, compared to $19,002 in the outpatient setting. ere was a significant gap between inpatient and out- patient spending on hip replacements as well; average spending on hip replacements was $30,685 in the inpatient setting and $22,078 in the outpatient setting. 3. e outpatient setting represents a 30 per- cent to 40 percent savings for knee and hip procedures. 4. e outpatient complication rate improved by 23 percent for knee surgeries and 36 per- cent for hip surgeries from 2013 to 2017; at the same time, there were comparable complica- tion rates in the inpatient setting. 5. e increased number of knee and hip re- placements over the study period drove the cost, and the number of joint replacements for patients under the age of 65 years increased sharply. Planned orthopedic surgery cost around $25 billion in 2017. n

• Cover