Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group published research Dec. 10 examining the savings that could result from performing joint replacements in ASCs instead of hospital inpatient settings.
Six insights on joint replacement costs and potential savings:
1. Inpatient hip replacements cost commercial insurers $34,300 in 2018, whereas hip replacements cost $27,600 in ASCs.
2. Medicare paid $13,800 for inpatient hip replacements in 2018. The cost of ASC-based hip replacements was $11,000.
3. Inpatient knee replacements cost commercial payers $34,300 in 2018, compared to $28,600 for knee replacement in ASCs.
4. Medicare paid $14,900 for inpatient knee replacements in 2018. Knee replacements done in ASCs cost Medicare $12,400.
5. Private insurers would yield savings per surgery of $6,700 for hip replacements done at an ASC, and savings per surgery of $5,700 for knee replacements done in an ASC.
6. Allowing ASCs to perform more routine joint surgeries could yield Medicare savings of $2,800 per hip replacement and $2,500 per knee replacement.