Medical Director of UnitedHealthcare in Colorado William Mandell, DO, JD, recently spoke with the Society of Ambulatory Spine Surgery about outpatient spine care.
Dr. Mandell discusses UnitedHealthcare's mission and how ambulatory surgery centers can benefit patients undergoing spinal procedures. The insurance company currently contracts with some ASCs for select spinal procedures and uses the MCG guidelines for medical policy decisions, according to the report.
"Spine surgeries performed in an ASC result in better care, lower cost and higher satisfaction for both physicians and members, which is why we feel these opportunities support our mission. Many spine surgeries can be done safely and effectively in an ASC, particularly one-level disc and some of the posterior fusions. Some physicians are also providing two and three level fusions in ASCs but not as frequently because of the extensive nature of the surgery," said Dr. Mandell in the article.
Click here for the full article from the Society of Ambulatory Spine Surgery.
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