Medicare Reconsiders Paying for Seniors' Spine Operations at Surgery Centers

Medicare announced is it reviewing whether seniors should receive spine surgeries at same-day surgery centers, five months after a USA Today Network - Kaiser Health News investigation detailed a spate of deaths following the procedures, reports Kaiser Health News . The investigation found more than 260 people have died since 2013 after in-and-out procedures at surgery centers across the country. There have been more than 12 fatalities after routine operations, such as colonoscopies and tonsillectomies. Moreover, in 2015 and 2017, Medicare approved same-day spine operations for seniors even though at least 14 individuals had died since 2008 after such surgeries. The report also noted some medical professionals urging Medicare to pay surgery centers to operate on seniors' spines did not mention recent incidents of death at their own or an affiliated center. In the wake of these revelations, Medicare said officials will examine whether these procedures "pose a significant safety risk" to recipients and continue to "meet the criteria" for Medicare coverage. The proposal seeks to review 38 procedures added since 2015, of which 25 involve spine surgery, and create an ongoing plan to continually review approved procedures. Medicare says because "beneficiaries tend to be frailer and exhibit a higher number of comorbidities than other populations, we believe it may be appropriate to reevaluate recently-added procedures."