Medicare data transparency may confuse consumers comparing hospitals for total joint arthroplasty

Daniel A Belatti; Andrew J Pugely; Annunziato Amendola; Phinit Phisitkul; John J Callaghan

doi:10.1016/j.arth.2014.07.031

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Medicare data transparency may confuse consumers comparing hospitals for total joint arthroplasty

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Medicare data transparency may confuse consumers comparing hospitals for total joint arthroplasty

Daniel A Belatti, Andrew J Pugely, Annunziato Amendola, Phinit Phisitkul and John J Callaghan

The Journal of arthroplasty, Vol.30(1), pp.7-11

01/2015

DOI: 10.1016/j.arth.2014.07.031

PMID: 25168519

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Abstract

The release of new hospital-specific Medicare data was heralded as a major development in transparency that would empower consumers. Using this data, we sought to investigate differences in payments and outcomes for total joint arthroplasty (TJA). We compared the fifty hospitals top-ranked by U.S. News & World Report for orthopedics to non-ranked hospitals. Available surgical outcome metrics were similar for all hospital groups. Top-ranked hospitals discharged a significantly higher volume of TJAs compared to other hospitals. Top-ranked hospitals submitted higher average charges to Medicare, and received higher payments in return. This premium was the direct result of Medicare's own reimbursement policies, and reveals little about consumer pricing. While comprehensive, Medicare's new databases provide little help to consumers wishing to compare hospitals for TJA.

Hospitals - standards

Outcome Assessment (Health Care) - statistics & numerical data

Arthroplasty, Replacement - standards

Hospitals - statistics & numerical data

United States

Humans

Medicare - statistics & numerical data

Patient Participation

Access to Information

Arthroplasty, Replacement - economics

Medicare - economics

Information Dissemination

Details

Title: Subtitle: Medicare data transparency may confuse consumers comparing hospitals for total joint arthroplasty
Creators: Daniel A Belatti - Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Andrew J Pugely - Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Annunziato Amendola - Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Phinit Phisitkul - Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
John J Callaghan - Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: The Journal of arthroplasty, Vol.30(1), pp.7-11
Publisher: United States
DOI: 10.1016/j.arth.2014.07.031
PMID: 25168519
ISSN: 0883-5403
eISSN: 1532-8406
Language: English
Date published: 01/2015
Academic Unit: Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering; Orthopedics and Rehabilitation
Record Identifier: 9984040375502771

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