Reimbursement for Thyroid Surgery and Potential Solutions

In light of the 2024 US Senate Committee on Finance white paper to reform Medicare payment models, what are the current trends in reimbursement for thyroid surgery?In this economic evaluation of Medicare reimbursement for thyroid surgeries between 2000 and 2023, reimbursement for all surgeries decreased 38.7%, and total thyroidectomy demonstrated the greatest decline at 47.8% when adjusted for inflation. There was 0% growth in work relative value units between 2012 and 2023.The current declines in reimbursement for thyroid surgery are not sustainable; thyroid surgeons need to take a proactive approach to reimbursement and need to discuss potential solutions before changes impact patient access to thyroid surgery.

Corresponding Author: Joseph Scharpf, MD, Head and Neck Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Ave, A71, Cleveland, OH 44195 (scharpj@ccf.org).

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