Posted: 02/05/09
Advancing technology and changes to the Medicare payment system have created a significant shift toward outpatient surgeries according to a recent report. The percentage of outpatient surgeries in the U.S. increased from half of all surgery visits in 1996 to nearly two thirds in 2006 according to the CDC. Research attributed the trend to the strong financial incentives Medicare has given to hospitals to complete less complex surgeries at outpatient facilities since the 1980s. When this change was made many Medicaid plans and private, often cheap, health insurance plans followed suit.
Other report findings included:
- Females had significantly more ambulatory surgery visits (20 million) than males (14.7 million).
- The most commonly performed procedures were endoscopies and lens extraction.
- 53 percent of outpatient surgery visits were paid for by private long term health insurance plans.
Related Links
CDC: U.S. Outpatient Surgeries on the Rise
Medicare changes lead to rise in outpatient surgeries
