Trends in Medicare Reimbursement for Otology Procedures From 2000 to 2020

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the Medicare reimbursement trends for otologic procedures from 2000 to 2020. Study Design: Retrospective data analysis using the Physician Fee Schedule Look-Up tool from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services. Setting: Facility performed procedures of the auditory system. Patients: Medicare beneficiaries from 2000 to 2020. Interventions: Selected otologic current procedural terminology codes and their respective year-to-year reimbursement data. Main Outcome Measures: Assessment of trends in financial reimbursement. Results: After adjusting for inflation, the total average reimbursement for all procedures saw an average decrease of -21.2% from 2000 to 2020. The average adjusted percent change per year was -1.3% indicating a slow decline in reimbursement over the study period. There was a difference between the adjusted and unadjusted percent change in reimbursement rate during the study period (-21% versus 20.4%, respectively; p < 0.001). Linear regression analysis of the adjusted average reimbursement across all procedures revealed an overall decline from 2000 to 2020 with an R-squared value of 0.85 indicating a decline in reimbursement over time. Conclusions: After adjusting all data for inflation, there has been a reduction in the average Medicare reimbursement for otology procedures from 2000 to 2020. Compared with previous reimbursement studies on the whole field of otolaryngology, otology has a less severe decline in reimbursement. Knowledge of these reimbursement trends is critical for otologic surgeons and leaders within the field to develop more sustainable reimbursement plans.

Automated summary

The study found that from 2000 to 2020, there was an average decrease of 21.2% in total reimbursement for all otologic procedures after adjusting for inflation. The average annual adjusted percent change was -1.3%, indicating a gradual decline in reimbursement over the study period. There was a significant difference between the adjusted and unadjusted percent change in reimbursement rate, showing a decline of 21% in adjusted and an increase of 20.4% in unadjusted rates during the study period (p < 0.001).