A Comprehensive Analysis of Medicare Reimbursement to Physicians for Common Arthroscopic Procedures: Adjusted Reimbursement Has Fallen Nearly 30% From 2000 to 2019

Purpose: To analyze and objectively measure the trends in inflation-adjusted Medicare reimbursement rates for the 20 most commonly performed orthopaedic arthroscopic surgical procedures from 2000 to 2019.

Methods: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website was used to find the top 20 most commonly performed arthroscopic procedures using the Public Use File data file for calendar year 2017. By use of the Physician Fee Schedule Look-Up Tool, national reimbursement averages were calculated from 2000-2019 and data were analyzed. Averages were adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Price Index. Current Procedural Terminology codes that did not exist in 2000 were unable to be analyzed in this study.

Results: When adjusted for inflation, Medicare reimbursement for the 20 most commonly performed arthroscopic procedures from 2000-2019 has decreased substantially (-29.81%). The mean Medicare reimbursement to physicians was $906 in 2000 and $632 in 2019. During this same period, the annual change in the adjusted mean reimbursement rate for all included arthroscopic procedures was -1.8% whereas the average compound annual growth rate was -1.9%.

Conclusions: This study shows that when adjusted for inflation, Medicare reimbursement to physicians has decreased by nearly 30% during the past 20 years for the most common arthroscopic procedures.

Clinical relevance: This analysis will give orthopaedic surgeons and hospital administrators a better understanding of the financial trends surrounding one of the fastest-growing techniques in surgery. Additionally, these financial-trend data will be increasingly important as the population in the United States continues to age and new payment models are introduced.