The researchers examined 213 orthopedic practices in North Carolina for the study. The practices were contacted twice in three weeks to request an appointment for an adult patient who potentially needed orthopedic surgery. The patient was fictitious.
The fictitious patient either had a rotator cuff tear, zone-II flexor tendon lacerations or an acute lumbar disc herniation. The patient reported Medicaid status at the first phone call and then private insurance at the second phone call. The researchers found:
• 59 percent of the practices offered the Medicaid patient an appointment within two weeks.
• 79 percent of the practices offered the private insurance patient an appointment within two weeks.
• Rural practices were more likely to offer Medicaid patient appointments than urban practices.
• Practices more than 60 miles away from academic medical centers were more likely to accept Medicaid patients than closer practices.
“A shift in policy to enhance access to orthopedic care for patients with Medicaid, especially those in urban areas and areas close to academic medical centers, will become increasingly important as more patients become eligible for Medicaid through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010,” concluded the study authors.
More articles on orthopedic surgery:
10 trends in knee arthroscopy reimbursement & coding
Dr. Richard Parker performs knee surgery on Cleveland Indians’ Ryan Raburn
Dr. Cody Nikolai joins Klasinski Clinic Orthopedics
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.