From decreasing reimbursement rates to increasing costs and prior authorization denials, practices are finding creative ways to boost revenue and appease patients.
Ask Orthopedic Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to orthopedic surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. Becker’s invites all orthopedic surgeon and specialist responses.
Next question: What will the most cost-effective orthopedic procedure be this year?
Please send responses to Claire Wallace at cwallace@beckershealthcare.com by 5 p.m. CST Friday, Jan. 24.
Editor’s note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What is the smartest business decision you made in 2024?
Jeffrey Carlson, MD. Orthopedic Spine Surgeon at Orthopaedic & Spine Center (Newport News, Va.): 2024 has been a hard economic year for most people. We are finding more patients that are going without traditional insurance and finding ways outside of insurance to get their healthcare. Patients are getting tired of commercial insurance plans regulating their healthcare which can be detrimental to their ability to work and enjoy life. Many are finding paying for healthcare with cash is more affordable than maintaining their insurance through deductibles and copays.
We have embraced the ideas of the free market and expanded our acceptance of non-traditional healthcare coverage. We have been aggressively pursuing pricing models that allow patients to receive healthcare from evaluation to surgical intervention. The response from patients and physicians has been overwhelmingly positive and we look forward to expanding in 2025.
