Characteristics of otolaryngology claims to Medicare in 2012

The Medicare provider utilization and payment public use datafile for 2012 was analyzed with respect to otolaryngology specialty providers to characterize otolaryngology services billed to and reimbursed by Medicare, both overall and according to provider characteristics. Among 8450 otolaryngology specialty providers submitting claims, the top 5 billed services were (count in millions): 99213 (2.23), 95165 (1.81), 99203 (0.92), 99214 (0.83), and 69210 (0.71), and the top 5 total reimbursed services were (aggregate total reimbursements in millions): 99213 ($114), 99203 ($68), 99214 ($63), 31231 ($60), and 31575 ($47). There was a mean of 1567 services billed per provider with an average (yearly) total reimbursement from Medicare of $76,068 per provider. These data characterize the current level of provision of otolaryngology services to the Medicare population.