Payer cost savings with endometrial ablation therapy.
CONTEXT: Dysfunctional uterine bleeding (DUB) is a significant cost burden for payers in the US healthcare system because hysterectomy, the common curative treatment, is associated with high hospitalization costs. OBJECTIVE: To determine the potential economic benefit to payers of endometrial ablation as an alternate treatment for the benign DUB disorder. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of healthcare claims including the total direct costs to the payer (reimbursement) and patient (copayment). The study was designed to capture all DUB-related claims costs for the entire episode of care from initial diagnosis through follow-up care for 12 months postprocedure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-four months of claims data from premenopausal women aged 25 to 50 years enrolled in a large managed care organization were screened based on relevant diagnostic and procedural codes. Incidence and costs of hysterectomy and ablation were determined, and potential payer savings were calculated based on hypothetical hysterectomy-to-ablation conversion rates of 25% to 50%. RESULTS: By performing ablation in lieu of hysterectomy for DUB, an average per-case savings of approximately $4,300 is possible. Potential annual payer savings are approximately $515,000 and $1.03 million for a 1-million-member plan, based on the 25% and 50% conversion rates, respectively. The recently approved uterine balloon therapy ablation technique could be instrumental in overcoming current barriers to wider utilization of ablation surgery. CONCLUSION: If ablation is used in lieu of hysterectomy when medically appropriate, a payer organization could reduce the cost of treating patients with DUB who are not responsive to drug therapy or dilation and curettage alone. Our data suggest that hysterectomy is the most common surgical therapy for this disorder, even though the less invasive endometrial ablation approach is more consistent with accepted DUB treatment guidelines. Payers therefore have an economic incentive to adopt guidelines and reimbursement policies that promote ablation therapy for DUB.