Patients' perceptions of the costs of total hip and knee arthroplasty

With medical economics in the national sociopolitical spotlight, we conducted a study to assess patients' understanding of the cost of 2 common orthopedic procedures: total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA, TKA). We surveyed 284 consecutive THA or TKA patients, at their first postoperative visit, regarding their understanding of reimbursement and cost. On average, patients estimated surgeon reimbursement at $12,014. They estimated that the hospital was reimbursed $28,392 for their perioperative care and that it cost the hospital $24,389 to provide it. The cost of the implant used was estimated at $6447. There is wide variation in patients' estimates and understanding of health care costs. However, patients substantially overestimate reimbursement to the surgeon both in isolation and as a proportion of the total cost of the surgical procedure.