How Much Do Patients Value Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty? A Prospective, Multicenter Study

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Health Economics
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Rising healthcare costs necessitate cost containment strategies, particularly for elective procedures like total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA).
• Understanding patient financial perspectives on these successful joint replacement surgeries is crucial for healthcare policy and reimbursement discussions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the financial value patients place on primary total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA and TKA).
• To assess patient perceptions of surgeon reimbursement and their willingness to pay out-of-pocket for these procedures.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous survey was conducted with 670 patients across 4 institutions (2 private, 2 academic).
• Patients were surveyed on their opinions regarding surgeon reimbursement, Medicare reimbursement, and out-of-pocket costs for total joint arthroplasty (TJA).

Main Results:

• Patients felt surgeons should be reimbursed $27,430 for THA and $19,830 for TKA.
• Patients indicated willingness to pay substantial out-of-pocket costs: $14,397 for THA (50.3%) and $12,797 for TKA (46.3%).
• Patients at academic centers were willing to pay more out-of-pocket for THA and TKA compared to those at private practices.

Conclusions:

• Patients perceive surgeons as underpaid for THA and TKA, regardless of practice setting.
• A significant portion of patients are willing to bear out-of-pocket expenses for TJA, even amidst ongoing Medicare reimbursement debates.