Becker's Spine Review

34 PRACTICE MANAGEMENT 3 New York City hospitals with best- value outcomes for spine surgery By Alan Condon H ospital for Special Surgery, Lenox Hill Hospi- tal and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center were the most cost-efficient hospitals over a 90-day episode of care for spine surgery, according to an analysis of Medicare claims by rankings authority Dexur released July 20. Analysis was done at diagnosis-related group 460: Spinal Fusion Except Cervical without Major Complication or Comorbidity, to adjust for complications and comorbid- ities for alive and non-hospice patients. e data includes the index hospitalizations, rehospital- ization, home health, nursing home and emergency de- partment costs from July 2016 to June 2019. e analysis found: Total cost of care over a 90-day episode: Hospital for Special Surgery: $47,727 Lenox Hill Hospital: $51,159 NYP/Weill Cornell Medical Center: $55,079 Average index hospitalization cost: Hospital for Special Surgery: $39,410 Lenox Hill Hospital: $42,152 NYP/Weill Cornell Medical Center: $42,334 Average rehospitalization cost over a 90-day episode of care: Hospital for Special Surgery: $4,876 Lenox Hill Hospital: $3,232 NYP/Weill Cornell Medical Center: $6,858 Average cost per rehospitalization: Hospital for Special Surgery: $28,952 Lenox Hill Hospital: $20,702 NYP/Weill Cornell Medical Center: $31,189 Average home health cost per hospitalization: Hospital for Special Surgery: $2,931 Lenox Hill Hospital: $3,156 NYP/Weill Cornell Medical Center: $3,323 Average ED cost per hospitalization: Hospital for Special Surgery: $658 Lenox Hill Hospital: $846 NYP/Weill Cornell Medical Center: $961 n Rothman opened 15th NJ office By Alan Condon Philadelphia-based Rothman Orthopaedic Institute opened an office in Paramus, N.J., on July 27. The Paramus facility will serve as Rothman Orthopaedics' base loca- tion in New Jersey, where it now has 15 locations. Spanning 22,000 square feet, the office will feature 24 exam rooms, X-ray imaging and physical therapy. Spine surgeon John Koerner, MD, will see patients at the office, as well as orthopedic surgeons Frank Alberta, MD, Rocco Bassora, MD, and Samir Sodha, MD, and podiatric medicine specialist Mark Na- thanson, DPM. Rothman Orthopaedics plans to have 40 locations open by the end of 2020 across New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. n AAOS urges CMS to reconsider Medicare cuts to orthopedic care By Alan Condon T he American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons has urged CMS to reconsider its Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rule for 2021, which outlines significant cuts to reimbursement rates for orthopedic surgical services, among other specialties. Under the rule, payments for orthopedic surgical services would be decreased by about 5 percent. Moreover, CMS plans to reduce the work relative value units for hip and knee replacements by an addi- tional 5.4 percent. AAOS President Joseph Bosco, MD, said the society is "extremely disappointed" at CMS' decision to move forward with these cuts af- ter AAOS provided data and engaged in several discussions against them. The society called on CMS to reconsider the preoperative work re- quired to "make value-based care both cost-effective and high-qual- ity" and refrain from implementing the cuts to orthopedic care, Dr. Bosco said. "Devaluing the time and effort that orthopedic surgeons spend pri- oritizing value-based care communicates a larger plan by the agency to gradually reduce the value of these procedures," he added. CMS' proposed cuts would worsen the financial strain on practices already struggling with the economic blow caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and decrease access to surgery for senior citizens, accord- ing to AAOS. Dr. Bosco also noted that orthopedic surgeons have the highest par- ticipation rates across medical specialties in value-based payment models. n

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