ArticleHand (New York, N.Y.)2023
Billing and Utilization Trends for Hand Surgery Indicate Worsening Barriers to Accessing Care.
Article in Hand (New York, N.Y.), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- National Trends in Utilization and Expenditures for Plastic Surgery From 2002 to 2022: A Cross-Sectional Study.Health science reports · 2026Article
- National trends in medicare utilization and reimbursement fees for common shoulder arthroscopy procedures performed in ambulatory surgery centers from 2013 to 2022.JSES reviews, reports, and techniques · 2026Article
- Where Are the Hand Surgeons? Examining the Socioeconomic and Geographic Gaps in Patients' Access to Care in the United States.Journal of hand surgery global online · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHospitals and providers may increase hand surgery charges to compensate for decreasing reimbursement. Higher charges, combined with increasing utilization of ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs), may threaten the accessibility of affordable hand surgery care for uninsured and underinsured patients.
methodsWe queried the Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary to collect the number of procedures, charges, and reimbursements of hand procedures from 2010 to 2019. We adjusted procedural volume by Medicare enrollment and monetary values to the 2019 US dollar. We calculated weighted means of charges and reimbursement that were then used to calculate reimbursement-to-charge ratios (RCRs). We calculated overall change and
resultsWeighted mean charges, reimbursement, and RCRs changed by + 21.0% (from $1,227 to $1,485;
conclusionsCharges for hand surgery procedures steadily increased, possibly reflecting an attempt to make up for reimbursements perceived to be inadequate. This trend places uninsured and underinsured patients at greater risk for financial catastrophe, as they are often responsible for full or partial charges. In addition, procedures shifted from inpatient to ASC setting. This may further limit access to affordable hand care for uninsured and underinsured patients.
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Registered trials
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