3 ports pay the same as 1 whipple

[The Angriest Bird]

It's mid-June. I highly doubt that I'm the first person to tell you the current reimbursement system is screwed up. I was told by a vascular attending today that a saphenous vein ablation done in the office pays the same as a ruptured AAA including 90 days of post-op follow-up.

By the end of the day, I'm really glad that there are plenty of doctors who choose to do things based on reasons other than payment. If we were to be business men/women, many specialties would have been dead a decade ago, because economically it makes zero sense.

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[J-Rad]

This isn't really a residency-related topic. More of a healthcare-in-general topic. Therefore moving to TIH.

 

[MOHS_01]

As docs begin to flock to these highly paid codes and utilization rates go up, the reimbursement will fall precipitously. This is rather common and has been the case for many new procedures over time.

Have you ever priced one of the machines or considered the costs incurred to offer said service in the office perchance?

 

[filter07]

As docs begin to flock to these highly paid codes and utilization rates go up, the reimbursement will fall precipitously. This is rather common and has been the case for many new procedures over time.

Have you ever priced one of the machines or considered the costs incurred to offer said service in the office perchance?

I came across an article a few weeks ago that pretty much lists all the costs in involved in setting up an endovenous practice in the office. It's published in AJR June 2007.

Handheld duplex US: 20,000
Ablation system: 35-40,000
Laser: 700 per procedure (use of the probe)
RF: 350
Phlebectomy hook: 500

There are even costs reported for radio ads:
100-150 per 1 minute advertisement --> 40-60,000 a month
yielding 300 interested patients calling

Reimbursement per case avg $2100 in office + 440 for additional veins
370 in hospital + 180 additional veins

 

[Apollyon]

It's mid-June. I highly doubt that I'm the first person to tell you the current reimbursement system is screwed up. I was told by a vascular attending today that a saphenous vein ablation done in the office pays the same as a ruptured AAA including 90 days of post-op follow-up.

By the end of the day, I'm really glad that there are plenty of doctors who choose to do things based on reasons other than payment. If we were to be business men/women, many specialties would have been dead a decade ago, because economically it makes zero sense.

This post needs to be seen by the President, and also that idiot POS Peter Orszag. You have precisely hit the nail on the head.

However, Orszag is out knocking up his girlfriend, and making unknown amounts of money now at Citigroup, doing an unspecified job.

 

[filter07]

This post needs to be seen by the President, and also that idiot POS Peter Orszag. You have precisely hit the nail on the head.

However, Orszag is out knocking up his girlfriend, and making unknown amounts of money now at Citigroup, doing an unspecified job.

Also meeting with Bilderberg