Wiki 360 Spinal fusion billing

[awerner]

Hello!! One of my surgeons is asking about 360 fusions for the spine. He was wanting to know what reimbursement differences there would be between doing both the posterior and anterior portions in the same day or splitting them between two different days? My first thought would be 2 different days would be better, but I was hoping to have some additional feedback. Thank you!!!

 

[thomas7331]

???? Please tell me I'm not understanding this correctly. Is a surgeon actually considering putting a patient through two surgeries instead of one because it might pay more? Physicians should make decisions like this based on patient needs and medical practice standards, not reimbursement. You can avoid multiple procedure reductions and the like by doing surgeries on separate days, but to do so in practice just for reimbursement purposes could be at best medical unnecessary but at worst could even be considered malpractice by putting a patient at unnecessary risk. Reimbursement should not even be a consideration in something like this. Or is there something to this question that doesn't meet the eye?