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. 2019 Jan 1;44(1):E33-E38.
doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000002766.

What Factors Influence Reimbursement for 1 to 2 Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion Procedures?

Sohrab S Virk  1 , Frank M Phillips  2 , Susan D Moffatt-Bruce  3 , Safdar N Khan  1
Affiliations

What Factors Influence Reimbursement for 1 to 2 Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion Procedures?

Sohrab S Virk et al. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). .

Abstract

Study design: Retrospective review.

Objective: To determine reimbursement associated with an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and the demographic factors influencing reimbursement for an ACDF.

Summary of background data: ACDF has been shown to be a cost-effective procedure. However, there has been minimal analysis of factors influencing reimbursement for this procedure.

Methods: Clinical and financial data were retrospectively reviewed for 176 patients undergoing an ACDF procedure in 2013 and 2014. Patients were included if they had primary ACDF and excluded if they were treated for a traumatic cervical spine fracture, infection, failed primary procedure, front/back procedure, or total disc replacement procedure. Clinical factors analyzed included number of levels fused, surgical time, length of stay in the hospital, estimated blood loss, implant type, Charleson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and preoperative diagnosis. Payer type and reimbursement associated with physician and hospital fees were collected for each patient. A multiple linear regression model determined the factors influencing reimbursement data using a backward conditional stepwise methodology. Variables were only included in multivariate analysis if there was a significant (P < 0.05) impact on reimbursement within univariate analysis.

Results: One hundred and twenty-eight patients met inclusion criteria. The average reimbursement per patient was $24,622 (+/- standard deviation of 14,616). The only significant factors influencing reimbursement was payer type (P < 0.001) and length of hospital stay (P < 0.001). These two independent multivariate determinants of reimbursement only accounted for 18.6% of reimbursement variability.

Conclusion: There is substantial variability in reimbursement for ACDF procedures. Multivariate analysis indicates that payer type and length of hospital stay significantly influence reimbursement. Our model, however, only explained a small proportion of reimbursement variability indicating that factors outside our analysis may significantly affect hospital reimbursement.

Level of evidence: 3.

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