Dr. Braxton interviewed with Becker’s Spine review regarding the biggest threats heading into 2024 for spine surgeons.
The spine field has exciting innovations and opportunities for surgeons to improve patient care. But there are also roadblocks holding surgeons back from truly delivering the best care possible for patients.
Independent spine surgeons are seeing financial challenges from workforce shortages, high labor and supply costs, and pressure to invest in new technologies. The most significant challenge in 2023 has been the burden of increased prior authorizations and insurers requiring more approvals before surgeons can render care.
At the 20th Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference in June, a panel of spine surgeons shared their experiences with prior authorizations and changing payer policies.
“[Prior authorizations] seem to be an ever-moving target,” said Carlos Bagley, MD, chair of the department of neurosurgery, co-chair of the neurosciences division and co-medical director of the Saint Luke’s Bloch Neurosciences Institute in Kansas City, Mo. “It creates additional challenges for efficiency and just good quality patient care.”
Ernest Braxton, MD, a surgeon at Vail-Summit Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery in Vail, Colo., agreed.
“The biggest holdup in getting patients to the OR used to be getting pre-op clearance, a medical reason, but now the biggest reason is insurance preauthorizations,” he said. “The usual threats always loom over the horizon. I think they’re very real existential threats of decreased reimbursement, erosion of our contracts, which just makes it harder for us to maintain private practice.”
Read the full article here: Spine surgeons’ biggest threats headed into 2024