Trying to cut reimbursement again

[SteadyEddy]

---

Members do not see this ad.

An interesting article about congress trying to cut medicaid reimbursement for surgeons...interesting

http://www.facs.org/ahp/views/sgr_kyl_s1081.pdf

 

[imtiaz]

its interesting that you mention this. i was just looking online at the CPT and it has dollar values for various procedures. (https://catalog.ama-assn.org/Catalog/cpt/cpt_search.jsp?checkXwho=done)

for instance (in chicago, illinois):

medicare pays:
appendectomy (open) $661.94
appendectomy (lap) $589.65

cholecystectomy (open) $910.21
cholecystectomy (lap w/o intraop cholangio) $742.04
cholecystectomy (lap w/ intraop cholangio) $796.64

colostomy (as an independent procedure) $1164.69
ileostomy or jejunostomy (non tube, independent procedure) $1039.15

incisional breast biopsy $339.78
needle localized breast biopsy $417.21
excision, cyst or fibroadenoma $457.76

thrombectomy with revision (dialysis a-v fistula) $798.91
thrombectomy (like, with a fogerty cath or somethin) $552.98

now, im not a surgeon, yet. but a typical day for me with my attending would be something like:
0700 elective colostomy
0800 needle localized breast biopsy
0900 needle localized breast biopsy
1000 excision fibroadenoma
1100 excision fibroadenoma
1200 lap chole
1300 lap chole
1400 lap chole
1500 lap chole
1600 dialysis graft thrombectomy
1700 dialysis graft thrombectomy
1800 dialysis graft thrombectomy
1900 take one of the above thrombectomies back, cause they have compartment syndrome 🙁
2200 go back cause i got paged for an appy

if you add that typical day up, its nothing to shake a stick at. if i made that much in a day, id be sitting pretty. 🙂

 

[Celiac Plexus]

its interesting that you mention this. i was just looking online at the CPT and it has dollar values for various procedures. (https://catalog.ama-assn.org/Catalog/cpt/cpt_search.jsp?checkXwho=done)

for instance (in chicago, illinois):

medicare pays:
appendectomy (open) $661.94
appendectomy (lap) $589.65

cholecystectomy (open) $910.21
cholecystectomy (lap w/o intraop cholangio) $742.04
cholecystectomy (lap w/ intraop cholangio) $796.64

colostomy (as an independent procedure) $1164.69
ileostomy or jejunostomy (non tube, independent procedure) $1039.15

incisional breast biopsy $339.78
needle localized breast biopsy $417.21
excision, cyst or fibroadenoma $457.76

thrombectomy with revision (dialysis a-v fistula) $798.91
thrombectomy (like, with a fogerty cath or somethin) $552.98

if you add that typical day up, its nothing to shake a stick at. if i made that much in a day, id be sitting pretty. 🙂

i think you're missing the point. the op isn't saying that surgeons don't get paid well, he/she is pointing out the fact that reimbursement may be trending down. we need to stop thinking about how much a colostomy pays, and start thinking about the bigger picture of overall flat/declining reimbursements, while practice costs continue to climb. of course, this is true for all specialties, and not just surgical ones.