4 4 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 1 8
B
undled payments are advancing across surgical spe-
cialties, but joint replacement is at the forefront of the
packaged pricing movement. Some say total joints is
the ideal condition for applying a fixed price to indi-
vidual episodes of care because of a surgical tech-
nique that's uneven and lacks uniformity.
"Total joints is an incredibly high-volume and high-expense proce-
dure," says Sharat K. Kusuma, MD, FAAOS, MBA, a surgical consult-
ant and former director of adult reconstruction at the Grant Medical
Center in Columbus, Ohio. "The problem is that the variability in the
procedure is unacceptable. Bundled payments force clinicians to con-
Kendal Gapinski | Contributing Editor
The Brave New World of Bundled Joint Payments
Expert advice on how to succeed in a packaged-price model
with hugely popular and highly expensive joint replacements.
• PURCHASING POWER A key to a successful bundled joint program is standardizing your implants and negotiating the best
price for artificial knees and hips.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
