TY - JOUR
T1 - Inflation-Adjusted Trends in Medicare Reimbursement for Common Dermatologic Procedures, 2007-2021
AU - Mazmudar, Rishabh S.
AU - Sheth, Anjani
AU - Tripathi, Raghav
AU - Bordeaux, Jeremy S.
AU - Scott, Jeffrey F.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/11
Y1 - 2021/11
N2 - Importance: Medicare enrollment, dermatologist utilization of Medicare, and dermatologic procedural volume have all increased over time. Despite this, there are limited studies evaluating changes in Medicare reimbursement within dermatology. Objective: To identify trends in Medicare reimbursement for 46 common dermatologic procedures from 2007 to 2021. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this cross-sectional study, reimbursement data were obtained from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Physician Fee Schedule for commonly used dermatologic Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes from 2007 to 2021. The CPT codes in several major dermatologic categories were analyzed, including skin biopsy, shave removal, benign/premalignant/malignant destruction, benign/malignant excision, Mohs micrographic surgery, simple/intermediate/complex repair, flap, graft, and laser/phototherapy. All procedure prices were adjusted for inflation to January 2021 dollar value. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were percentage changes and cumulative annual growth rates of pricing for each dermatologic procedure. Results: From 2007 to 2021, there was a mean decrease in dermatologic procedure reimbursement of -4.8% after adjusting for inflation. Mean inflation-adjusted changes in reimbursements during this time period significantly varied by procedure type, including skin biopsy (+30.3%), shave removal (+24.5%), benign/premalignant/malignant destruction (-7.5%), Mohs micrographic surgery (-14.4%), benign/malignant excision (-3.9%), simple/intermediate/complex repair (-9.9%), flap repair (-14.1%), graft repair (-12.0%), and laser/phototherapy (-6.6%; P <.001). Changes in reimbursement did not vary by anatomical risk categories. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this cross-sectional analysis suggest that changes in Medicare reimbursement can have several downstream effects, including concomitant private insurance changes and decreased patient access. Future adjustments in reimbursement should balance high-value care with sustainable pricing to optimize patient access.
AB - Importance: Medicare enrollment, dermatologist utilization of Medicare, and dermatologic procedural volume have all increased over time. Despite this, there are limited studies evaluating changes in Medicare reimbursement within dermatology. Objective: To identify trends in Medicare reimbursement for 46 common dermatologic procedures from 2007 to 2021. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this cross-sectional study, reimbursement data were obtained from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Physician Fee Schedule for commonly used dermatologic Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes from 2007 to 2021. The CPT codes in several major dermatologic categories were analyzed, including skin biopsy, shave removal, benign/premalignant/malignant destruction, benign/malignant excision, Mohs micrographic surgery, simple/intermediate/complex repair, flap, graft, and laser/phototherapy. All procedure prices were adjusted for inflation to January 2021 dollar value. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were percentage changes and cumulative annual growth rates of pricing for each dermatologic procedure. Results: From 2007 to 2021, there was a mean decrease in dermatologic procedure reimbursement of -4.8% after adjusting for inflation. Mean inflation-adjusted changes in reimbursements during this time period significantly varied by procedure type, including skin biopsy (+30.3%), shave removal (+24.5%), benign/premalignant/malignant destruction (-7.5%), Mohs micrographic surgery (-14.4%), benign/malignant excision (-3.9%), simple/intermediate/complex repair (-9.9%), flap repair (-14.1%), graft repair (-12.0%), and laser/phototherapy (-6.6%; P <.001). Changes in reimbursement did not vary by anatomical risk categories. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this cross-sectional analysis suggest that changes in Medicare reimbursement can have several downstream effects, including concomitant private insurance changes and decreased patient access. Future adjustments in reimbursement should balance high-value care with sustainable pricing to optimize patient access.
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U2 - 10.1001/jamadermatol.2021.3453
DO - 10.1001/jamadermatol.2021.3453
M3 - Article
C2 - 34524396
AN - SCOPUS:85115190648
SN - 2168-6068
VL - 157
SP - 1355
EP - 1358
JO - JAMA Dermatology
JF - JAMA Dermatology
IS - 11
ER -