Shifts in patient demographics are impacting anesthesia practice's revenue, Tony Mira, Anesthesia Business Consultants' president and CEO, said in a recent blog post.
Most practitioners have had to adjust their practices to an increasing number of cases treating chronic conditions of the elderly, such as cataracts and colonoscopies, amid an aging population.
Here are four changes to know:
1. The retirement-age population has grown almost 11 times since 1900 — the population of Americans over 85 is now more than 4 million.
2. As the population ages, the percentage of women has also increased.
3. As of 2000, people aged 65 and older make up more than 12 percent of the population.
4. As for payers, the average practice has experienced a five percent increase in its Medicare population in seven years.