Role and Growth of Independent Medicare-Billing Otolaryngologic Advanced Practice Providers

To evaluate the role and growth of independently billing otolaryngology (ORL) advanced practice providers (APPs) within a Medicare population.

Retrospective cross-sectional study.

Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data: Physician and Other Supplier Data Files, 2012-2017.

This retrospective review included data and analysis of independent Medicare-billing ORL APPs. Total sums and medians were gathered for Medicare reimbursements, services performed, number of patients, and unique Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes used, along with geographic and sex distributions.

There has been near-linear growth in number of ORL APPs (13.7% to 18.4% growth per year), with a 115.4% growth from 2012 to 2017. Similarly, total Medicare-allowed reimbursement (2012: $15,568,850; 2017: $35,548,446.8), total number of services performed (2012: 313,676; 2017: 693,693.7), and total number of Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) patients (2012: 108,667; 2017: 238,506) increased. Medians of per APP number of unique CPT codes used, Medicare-allowed reimbursement, number of services performed, and number of Medicare FFS patients have remained constant. There were consistently more female APPs than male APPs (female APP proportion range: 71.3%-76.7%). Compared to ORL physicians, there was a significantly greater proportion of APPs practicing in a rural setting as opposed to urban settings (2017: APP proportion 13.6% vs ORL proportion 8.4%; P < .001).

Although their scope of practice has remained constant, independently billing ORL APPs are rapidly increasing in number, which has led to increased Medicare reimbursements, services, and patients. ORL APPs tend to be female and are used more heavily in regions with fewer ORL physicians.