State Variations in Public Payer Reimbursement for Common Plastic Surgery Procedures

What is it about?

Disparities in Medicare and Medicaid Reimbursement for Common Plastic Surgery Procedures: Disparities in access to plastic and reconstructive surgery services exist within the United States. This disparity is particularly prevalent among patients with Medicaid. Several contributing factors exist, one of which may be a discrepancy between Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement for the same procedure performed. We analyzed Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates for commonly performed plastic surgery procedures, and found that Medicaid provides a significantly discounted reimbursement rate for all procedures in the overwhelming majority of states. We believe discounted reimbursement rates may contribute to disparities in access to plastic surgery procedures by Medicaid patients and urge surgeons to work with policy makers to establish reimbursement rates that encourage provider participation in these public insurance programs.

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