Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina has expanded its bundled payment project to include hip replacement surgeries.
The private payer announced that, effective Nov. 1, 2013, its customers became eligible to pay a flat fee for hip surgeries performed at North Carolina Specialty Hospital in Durham. The bundled payment effort includes Triangle Orthopaedic Associates. Several physicians within TOA hold ownership stakes in North Carolina Specialty Hospital.
BCBSNC said the one-time fixed rate for hip replacement surgeries will be 10 to 20 percent less than the average cost of hip replacements in North Carolina, which can range from $22,000 to $52,000. The bundled payment includes all care associated with the inpatient stay, as well as related post-operative care for 90 days after the surgery.
BCBSNC has a similar bundled payment agreement with TOA and North Carolina Specialty Hospital for knee replacements, which the groups said has already yielded 22 percent in average cost savings and high patient satisfaction rates.
"We know this approach to care works from the results we're already seeing from our knee replacement agreement," said Thomas Dimmig, MD, president of TOA and a physician owner of North Carolina Specialty Hospital. "We are pleased to work with BCBSNC again to bring another high-quality, lower-cost orthopedic surgery option to BCBSNC customers."
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