The Changing Roles of Urologists, Radiologists, and Advanced Practice Providers in Uroradiology Procedures
Methods: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Physician/Procedure Summary data from 2010 to 2021 were utilized to examine uroradiology Current Procedural Terminology codes billed by urologists, radiologists, and APPs. Percent of total reimbursement and higher volume procedure count (after excluding providers with <11 procedures by per year) by each provider field was calculated and analyzed for changes in distribution from 2010 to 2021.
Results: There were significant changes in all procedures when examining procedure reimbursement distribution in 2010 to 2021 (P < .001). During the period, urology saw decreases in reimbursement proportion as large as 28.7% for kidney cryoablation and increases as large as 14.2% for nephrostomy tube removals. Radiology saw the largest decreases in reimbursement proportion with an 18.9% decrease for nephrostograms, while the largest increase was 23.6% for suprapubic tube placements. APPs saw the largest increase in suprapubic tube changes reimbursement proportion, which rose 14.2% from 2010 to 2021. There were significant changes in proportion in all procedures, except for antegrade stent, renal cryoablation, renal biopsy, and renal thermoablation.
Conclusions: Uroradiology procedures have seen shifts in the distribution of which provider type performs each procedure. Most large changes in reimbursement and procedure proportion were shifted between urology and radiology, with APPs seeing smaller changes.
Austin J. Lee, Timothy Campbell, Carl A. Ceraolo, Aaron Saxton, Scott O. Quarrier, and Jathin Bandari
Department of Urology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York
Source: Lee AJ, Campbell T, Ceraolo CA et al. The Changing Roles of Urologists, Radiologists, and Advanced Practice Providers in Uroradiology Procedures. Urology Practice. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1097/UPJ.0000000000000482.