Knoxville (Tenn.) Orthopaedic Clinic, a division of OrthoTennessee, partnered with Humana to provide Humana's Medicare Advantage beneficiaries with access to outpatient hip and knee replacements at Knoxville Orthopaedic Surgery Center.
Here are four things to know:
1. CMS traditionally requires Medicare beneficiaries to undergo joint replacements in hospitals, but through this first-of-its-kind agreement, Humana Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in Tennessee can now undergo outpatient joint replacements performed at Knoxville Orthopaedic Surgery Center.
"Humana is excited to partner with KOSC in this opportunity to improve the orthopedic health and well-being of our East Tennessee members in a state-of-the-art, high-quality and patient-friendly facility," said Mid-South Regional President for Humana Douglas Haaland.
2. The surgery center began offering outpatient total joint replacements in early 2017 to patients with commercial insurance and have experienced success. "For otherwise healthy people who are interested in an outpatient experience, our surgery center offers an amazing opportunity to have a joint replacement yet avoid a hospital stay," said Herman Botero, MD, a joint replacement specialist at Knoxville Orthopaedic Clinic.
3. KOSC includes sports medicine, joint replacement, spine surgery, extremities care and pain management. Twenty-three physicians are affiliated with the center.
4. KOSC is the only Tennessee-based ASC contracted with Humana to provide outpatient joint replacement for the payer's Medicare Advantage beneficiaries.