More spine cases are moving to outpatient surgery centers as procedures become less invasive and payers recognize the value. But unless surgery centers are aligned with vendors on implant pricing, they will lose money.
Catherine Llavanes, CEO of Sante Health Partners Ambulatory Surgery Center, said during a panel at the 21st Annual Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC + The Future of Spine Conference in June talked about working with a surgeon and vendor partner to align on a cost structure for the ASC.
She said one surgeon wanted to perform a spine procedure requiring two screws, and each screw cost $6,000.
"The insurance is not going to pay $12,000 for two screws," she said. "I told my director there must be a way to keep this patient in the surgery center and we should talk to the surgeon. Let's line up all the vendors that are similar to that screw and present it to the surgeon."
Ms. Llavanes and her team conduct a surgeon meeting every Monday, and during that meeting they showed the surgeon screw cost data. She was able to negotiate down the price to $2,000 per screw and subsequently made $700 on the case.
"That alignment with vendors and alignment with your surgeons is important to the future," she said.