There are three distinct categories that impact anesthesia provider revenue, Tony Mira, CEO of Anesthesia Business Consultants, wrote in a Jan. 3 blog post — case volume, care acuity and net yield per billed unit.
Here's how providers should predict 2023 revenue, according to Mr. Mira.
Surgical case volume
Measuring productivity in terms of cases is an "impractical unit of measurement," Mr. Mira wrote. As the scope of anesthesia practices are increasing, many large practices are merging with other services venues, making volume an inaccurate measure of growth.
In a review of data, surgical volumes between 2019 and 2022 are up an average of 1 percent. But Mr. Mira emphasizes that as care becomes more complex, case volume isn't an accurate reflection of growth.
Care acuity
The acuity of care is measured as average billable units per case, which is a useful metric to track over time, Mr. Mira wrote. Most practices are producing fewer billable units per anesthetizing location per day.
The most notable development to keep an eye on is the migration of cases to outpatient settings, where they tend to be shorter and less risky. Particularly, endoscopy is the most profitable and targeted line of business, so it is critical to "monitor the level of endoscopic activity per month," Mr. Mira wrote.
Net yield per surgical unit
Payer mix has a massive impact on the net yield collected for each unit billed, Mr. Mira wrote. All three payer categories — public payers, commercial insurance plans and patients without insurance — must be monitored closely to negotiate rates. Over five years, Mr. Mira has seen a three percent drop in yield per surgical unit in anesthesia practices.