Editor's Note WiseGuyReports predicts the global market for hip and knee surgical implants will reach more than $12 billion by 2021, the August 21 Becker’s Spine Review reports. Three companies dominate the market: Zimmer Biomet, Stryker, and DePuy Synthes.

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is poised to launch Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) Advanced on October 1, 2018, and is continuing its Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) bundled payment model for total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA, TKA). “Orthopedics is the most important service…

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Editor's Note Increased use of neuraxial anesthesia was associated with lower hospitalization costs for hip and knee replacements, but more studies are needed before considering neuraxial anesthesia as a marker of quality, this study finds. National data on 808,237 total knee and 371,607 total hip replacements were analyzed. Increasing frequency…

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Editor's Note A new study by consultancy firm Navigant found that academic medical centers are trailing community hospitals across cost and quality measures. Among the findings: Cost per case was 5.8% higher at medical centers, equating to $3.1 million added annual operating expense per center. Cost per case disparity between high…

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Editor's Note Hospitals participating in Medicare’s Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement model or its Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative for lower extremity joint replacement episodes report reducing skilled nursing facility (SNF) use and improving care coordination, in this survey. Interviews of executives or administrators in each of 22 hospitals…

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Editor's Note Part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) final Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System rule for FY 2019, issued August 2, was a requirement that hospitals post the prices they charge for surgeries and other medical procedures online. The…

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Editor's Note US hospitals added 6,800 jobs in July to a seasonally adjusted 5,181,900, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on August 3. That is 94,800 more employees than a year ago. The overall unemployment rate fell by 0.1% in July to 3.9%.

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission and American Heart Association (AHA) on July 25 announced a new jointly offered hospital cardiovascular certification program. The “Advanced Certification for Heart Failure” program is the first of multiple, jointly offered cardiac certifications that will be available to hospitals. Organizations must meet the following criteria:…

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Editor's Note After implementing two presurgery checklists from the American College of Surgeons Strong for Surgery (S4S) program, most diabetic patients met blood sugar control recommendations, and many patients quit smoking before surgery. Use of the checklists along with an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) approach resulted in decreased length…

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Editor's Note A bill that would repeal the medical device tax cleared the House of Representatives on July 24 in a 283-132 vote. the July 24 The Hill reports. The tax provided part of the funding for the Affordable Care Act. Rep Erik Paulsen (R-Minn), the bill sponsor, says the…

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