Becker's Spine Review

70 HEALTHCARE REFORM Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa., Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Mo., and Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. If employees choose to have surgery done at a center of excellence, they receive surgery at no cost and do not pay for their travel and related expenses. 46. e total bundle costs for spine surgery, according to a study published in Spine, were relatively flat when the bundle length increased. e total average cost of the 30-day bundle was $33,522 compared to the average 90-day bundle cost of $35,165. is could indicate the bulk of charges happen within the first 30 days of surgery. e study looked at the variation in spine surgery costs and the implications that variation could have on evi- denced-based bundled payments. e largest portion of the bundled costs was associated with hospital payments, with 76 percent of the bundle going towards hospital pay- ments on average. Paul Slosar, MD, said in a Becker's Spine Review report, that "spine practices will need business partners to represent their groups in order to negotiate and generate profits from bundled payment strategies…[spine practic- es] have neither the experience nor capacity to negotiate favorable bundled payment terms from payers." Settlements and lawsuits 47. Two federal cases and other lawsuits were brought against South Dakota-based spine surgeon Allen Sossan, MD, for unnecessary surgeries and fraudulent billing. e federal government has also brought suits against the phy- sicians on the committees that credentialed Dr. Sossan. He previously lost his privileges in Norfolk, Neb., where he practiced before moving to South Dakota. In Nebraska, Dr. Sossan allegedly falsified patient charts and radiolog- ical results to perform unnecessary surgery. Dr. Sossan received many patient complaints aer he moved to South Dakota to practice in 2010. He did not renew his South Dakota license when it expired in March 2014. 48. Former neurosurgeon Cully White, MD, is center stage in a whistle-blower lawsuit involving kickbacks and coun- gSource is committed to putting the finest instruments into the hands of surgeons and their teams. gSource instruments are designed to perform with precise surgical function. Whether crafted from German surgical stainless steel, or machined from U.S. surgical stainless steel, they are also conceived to be affordable. It is this combination of quality and realistic pricing that distinguishes the gSource brand. gSource produces instruments used throughout the world by many of the leaders and innovators in orthopedics and spine. 800.978.1119 www.gSource.com gSource® NASS Annual Meeting - Booth 1576 - October 14-16, 2015 Visit www.gSource.com to view our catalog of over 3,500 instruments. • Realistic price • Verified quality • On-time delivery • Large selection and inventory • Orthopedic and spinal focus • German craftsmanship • Precise U.S. machining • Adaptability/flexibility • Superior customer service gSource advantages • Full satisfaction guarantee • ISO 13485:2003 Certified gSource gSource gSource Orthopedic and Spinal Surgical Instruments

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