Medicare pays female and male neurosurgeons the same for identical procedures. The sex-based gap in total Medicare reimbursement comes from differences in procedure mix and patient complexity, according to a study published Oct. 5 in Neurosurgery.
Researchers analyzed CMS Physician/Supplier Procedure Part B summary data for Medicare-participating neurosurgeons from 2013 to 2023. They identified each provider’s sex through the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, using the National Provider Identifier.
Male neurosurgeons earned higher mean annual total Medicare reimbursement than female neurosurgeons. However, once the researchers adjusted for Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System codes, they found no significant difference in standardized payment for any identical procedure.
The gap comes from what each group billed. Men drew 34.31% of their services from the highest reimbursement tier, compared with 28.49% for women. Women drew 27.74% of their services from the lowest tier, nearly double the 14.14% share for men.
Female neurosurgeons also treated more complex patients. Patients eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid made up 26.1% of their Medicare patients, compared with 22.8% for male peers. Women’s patients also had significantly higher rates of several psychiatric and medical comorbidities.
The authors concluded that the reimbursement differences appear to stem from procedural volume, subspecialization and patient complexity, not unequal pay for equivalent services.
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