Young Neurosurgeons and Rapid Fire Abstracts-Medicare Reimbursement of Implantable Spinal Cord Stimulators from 2000-2019

Medicare Reimbursement of Implantable Spinal Cord Stimulators from 2000-2019

Video Transcription

Video Summary

In this video, Kent Richter, a third-year medical student at Mayo Clinic Alex School of Medicine, presents a study on the monetary trends in Medicare reimbursement for implantable spinal cord stimulators between 2000 and 2019. Back pain is a major issue in the United States, with healthcare costs estimated to be over $12 billion per year. Medicare reimburses physician services through a fee schedule based on current procedural terminology (CPT) codes and relative value units (RVUs). The study analyzed the top three procedures associated with spinal cord stimulators and found that Medicare reimbursement rates decreased by an average of 37.26% after adjusting for inflation during the study period. This suggests that reimbursement rates have not kept up with inflation, which may have implications for hospitals and physicians providing care for patients with chronic back pain. The presentation concludes by emphasizing the importance of considering these reimbursement trends in providing palliative care for patients with chronic back pain.

Asset Subtitle

Kent Richter

Keywords

Kent Richter

medical student

Mayo Clinic Alex School of Medicine

Medicare reimbursement

implantable spinal cord stimulators