Data from a study published online in the journal Orthopedics suggest that patient-perceived values for arthroscopic meniscectomy and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction may be substantially higher than current Medicare reimbursement values.

The research team surveyed 231 patients regarding surgeon reimbursement for meniscectomy and ACL reconstruction. They found that, on average, patients thought surgeons should receive $8,096 for meniscectomy and $11,794 for ACL reconstruction, and estimated Medicare reimbursement to be $5,442 for meniscectomy and $6,667 for ACL reconstruction. After being informed of actual reimbursement levels, 65 percent of patients believed that reimbursement for meniscectomy was too low (somewhat low, 36 percent; very low, 29 percent), and 57 percent of patients believed that reimbursement for ACL reconstruction was too low (somewhat low, 30 percent; very low, 27 percent). Learn more...