Reimbursement of surgical procedures for benign prostatic hyperplasia: are we disincentivizing complex care?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To provide an overview of how surgical benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) procedures are compensated in the United States and the implications of the current reimbursement system on the care of patients. RECENT FINDINGS: The resource-based relative value care system is Medicare's current reimbursement model. There is strong evidence that the current system does not adequately account for complex care. Consequently, for BPH surgical procedures, treatment options best suited for complex patients are not adequately reimbursed which may have implications on healthcare delivery and outcomes. SUMMARY: Inadequate reimbursement for certain BPH procedures may disincentivize the care of complex patients. Procedures such a holmium laser enucleation of the prostate are well suited for complex patients but have a steep learning curve. The incentive to learn and offer such procedures to complex patients may be unfairly influenced by reimbursement levels, which in the end penalizes patients and the treatments available to them.