Surgeon reimbursement for trauma care
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Mary F Lumpkin1, Daniel G Judkins, John M Porter
1Department of Surgery, Section of Trauma and Critical Care, University of Arizona College of Medicine, 1501 North Campbell Avenue, PO Box 245063, Tucson, AZ 85724-5063, USA.
Background:
Trauma care is a well-known financial burden for hospitals, yet reimbursement for the surgeon has not been reported.
Methods:
For 1999, the percent of the surgeons' bills reimbursed for general surgery services (gPR) was compared with that for trauma services (tPR). Mean tPR for various groups were compared. Factors predictive of tPR lower than gPR were identified.
Results:
The gPR was 49%, and, for 371 trauma patients, tPR was 45% (P = 0.03). The mean tPR for injury severity score (ISS) < or =10 was 48%, and for ISS > or =11, 57% (P = 0.03). Patients transferred from outside facilities did not have a significantly lower mean tPR. Penetrating trauma (odds ratio 3.7, P = 0.008) was predictive of tPR lower than gPR.
Conclusions:
Surgeon reimbursements for trauma care was significantly, yet only slightly less than for all general surgery care. Surgeons should not be reluctant to take trauma call based on perceptions of low reimbursement.
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