3 Ways iOR Partners Makes Office-Based Surgery Even More Advantageous for Surgeons

There are a variety of surgeon benefits from office-based surgery. These include increased flexibility, increased patient load, and scheduling freedoms. Here are three ways iOR Partners can help you get the most out of your OBS practice.

1. Reimbursments for Office-Based Cataract Surgery

Confusion about reimbursements for office-based surgery is common. There are misleading statements out there claiming that Medicare does not reimburse for office-based cataract surgery. You can receive Medicare reimbursement for OBS. You’re simply paid in a different way. Instead of a Traditional Primary-National reimbursement of the facility fee, OBS surgeons receive a Secondary-Local reimbursement of their professional fee based on local Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) codes in all 12 local jurisdictions.

Office-based surgery billing is more complex than the ASC or hospital setting and requires specialized expertise. At iOR, we understand the regulatory and billing requirements for OBS reimbursement. We review every claim and work with local MACs to obtain reimbursement. The reimbursement amount for OBS is similar to what is paid to an ASC, they are just reimbursed in different ways. With OBS, you retain 100% of the surgical fee in your practice. Learn more about reimbursement for office-based cataract surgery.

2. Ensure Patient Safety & Compliance 

iOR Partners is here to help ensure you keep your patients safe. We working with your staff to implement national accreditation standards. We facilitate peer review of cases, and provide quality assurance and performance improvement (QA/PI).

iOR Suites® operate at the same safety standards of care and as accredited by the same national organizations as ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) or hospitals. As part of our accreditation program, iOR Suite® physicians must provide quarterly data on their surgical outcomes. The iRWD Registry™ consists of over 47,000 real-world cases performed in an office-based surgery facility to match or beat safety outcomes in other outpatient settings. See the office-based surgery safety data.

3.  Leading the Movement in Ophthalmic Office-Based Surgery

At over four million annual procedures in the U.S., cataract surgery is the most commonly performed medical procedure. Increased demand, a declining the number of providers, and limited OR time creates a critical imbalance of supply and demand. iOR Partners is transforming healthcare by leading the movement towards office-based surgery, a rare model that aligns physicians, patients, and payors.

OBS is the next revolutionary shift in ophthalmology and closely mirrors the previous shift from hospitals to ASCs. Today, 2.5% of cataract surgeries are performed in OBS suites and this number is growing according to a survey conducted by iOR Partners. 67% of surgeons will likely incorporate OBS in the next 1-5 years. In addition to patient demand, several other factors contribute to the rapid shift in the acceptance curve.

Futhermore, OBS puts money back into ophthalmology. 85% of OBS precedures were previously performed in corporate ASCs or hospitals. Bringing these procedures to OBS brings significant dollars back into ophthalmology. 

Office-based surgery is the future of ophthalmology. Do you want to lead or follow? Request a FREE OBS evaluation for your practice.