Here are seven important Medicare changes and updates since Feb. 17 that spine and orthopedic surgeons should know:
1. Medicare reimbursement rates for common neurosurgery procedures are down 11.2 percent.
2. Zimmer Biomet's Persona IQ smart knee implant earned an additional payment of about $850 more per knee through a CMS add-on payment.
3. Reimbursements for cervical disc replacement fell 12.9 percent between 2009 and 2021.
4. Two prominent neurosurgery groups praised a bill to improve Medicare's physician pay system.
5. The ASCs with the highest prices above Medicare in three states focus on orthopedic and spine care.
6. Four surgeons shared the changes they want to see from the Medicare system in 2023.
7. Icon Health and Auxilium Health partnered to reduce the cost of care for orthopedic Medicare patients.