A study published in April in The American Journal of Managed Care found that procedures performed in the HOPD setting cost significantly more than those performed in ASCs, despite no evidence of better quality of care.
The study examined data from nearly 1.7 million patients who received colonoscopies, 259,300 patients who had arthroscopy and 173,664 patients who had cataract removal surgery, all in HOPDs. The study used deidentified insurance claims from Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance plans from 2019-2020.
1. Colonoscopies were 54.9% higher in HOPDs than ASCs.
2. Arthroscopies were 44.4% higher in HOPDs than ASCs.
3. Cataract removals were 44% higher in HOPDs than ASCs.
Adjusted rates of complications in colonoscopies were slightly higher in HOPDs than ASCs, and those rates were statistically and clinically similar between arthroscopies and cataract removals.