Medicaid Reimbursement for Common Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Procedures Is Highly Inconsistent Among States, Ranging from 37% to 324% of Medicare Reimbursement.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Medicaid reimbursement to physicians is often perceived to be lower than Medicare, but little is known about orthopaedic foot and ankle reimbursement. This study sought to compare Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement for the 20 most common foot and ankle procedures.

Methods

Medicare reimbursement rates for common foot and ankle codes were obtained from the online Centers for Medicare & Medicaid fee schedule, while Medicaid rates were found from individual state fee schedule websites. Medicaid rates were compared by state and pooled to obtain national differences. The Medicare Wage Index was used to adjust Medicaid rates by state wages to ensure a more accurate comparison. Variability between states was measured using state percentages of Medicare and coefficient of

SUBMITTER: Henderson AP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12035350 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature