6 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7
Are Bundled Payments Good for Surgery?
I
t's easy to see why bundled payments
appeal to payers and employers. The
popular value-based model that pays
providers a flat price for all of the care they'll deliver before,
during and 90 days after surgery reduces spending and improves
patient outcomes. But are bundled payments a good deal for surgeons
and surgical facilities? That depends on how well you negotiate the
bundled payment and, as you can see in the table below, how much
distance you put between your set fees and your variable costs. Either
way, as the push continues to pay for surgery on the basis of quality
over quantity, bundled payments have emerged as an increasingly pop-
ular model — especially in orthopedics.
How to capitalize on the popular payment model that sets a flat
price for all the care you'll deliver before, during and after surgery.
Daniel Cook
Executive Editor
• HARDWARE SAVINGS Bundled payments cap the costs of expensive hip and knee implants.
