Evolution of mitral valve procedural volumes in the advent of endovascular treatment options: Experience at an early-adopting center in Germany.

OBJECTIVES: Our objectives were to assess the evolution of surgical and endovascular mitral valve procedural volumes and to study utilization and reimbursement effects of transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) at our center and to put these in perspective with the corresponding data at the national level. BACKGROUND: TMVR using the MitraClip system has been available in Germany since 2008 as a complementary treatment option for high-risk or inoperable patients. METHODS: Relevant procedure codes were identified for 2006-2012 and yearly utilization volumes obtained from our center's databases and from the national statistics office. Volumes were analyzed in total, and stratified by treatment approach. Procedure reimbursement at our center was determined for years 2007-2012. RESULTS: At our center, 378 MitraClip procedures were performed from 2008 to 2012. During this period, surgical volumes grew at an average of 10.6% annually (2008: 262; 2012: 392; 49.6% total growth rate). Total surgical and TMVR reimbursement increased from EUR 3.8 million (2007) to EUR 7.9 million (2012). By comparison, mitral valve procedural volumes grew by 56.1% from 2006 to 2012 at the national level, with TMVR constituting 9.1% of 20,328 procedures in 2012. Since the introduction of MitraClip, nationwide surgical procedural volumes grew at an average of 6.3% annually (2008: 14,477; 2012: 18,478; 27.6% total growth rate). CONCLUSIONS: Growth in procedural volumes during 2006-2012 reflects an increasing supply and subsequent demand for mitral valve procedures. The introduction of TMVR has contributed to overall growth, and has not reduced continued growth in surgical volumes. Our center-specific analysis suggests a "halo effect" of an integrated approach to mitral valve disease contributing to additional growth in surgical and overall reimbursement volumes.

[Analysis of costs and profits of ambulatory care of Marfan patients after initiation of a novel German legal directive (116 b SGB V)]. / Analyse der Erlössituation bei der ambulanten Behandlung nach 116 b SGB V am Beispiel des Marfan-Syndroms.

BACKGROUND: The Marfan syndrome is a typical rare disease with multiorgan involvement and the need for specialized interdisciplinary medical care. A novel German legal directive according to section sign 116 b of the Social Statutes Book V (116 b SGB V) improves options for reimbursement and thus encourages specialized hospitals to provide ambulatory care for rare diseases such as Marfan syndrome. The authors provide the first economic analysis of section sign 116 b in a German Marfan center. METHODS: The costs were assessed in 184 cases with Marfan syndrome receiving medical care in the Hamburg Marfan Clinic. The authors assessed the financial profit both according to payments received from invoices established according to the 116 b directive [reimbursement (116b)] and from calculations according to section sign 117 SGB V [reimbursement (117)]. RESULTS: A total of 117 patients traveled to the Marfan clinic (64%) < 50 km, 27 patients (15%) between >or= 50 and 100 km. The total costs for ambulatory care were 71,606.28 Euro. The reimbursement (116b) was 55,549.87 Euro and the reimbursement (117) was 11,776.00 Euro. CONCLUSION: Many patients accept long distances of traveling to receive specialized ambulatory medical care. However, for optimal patient management specialized centers need to cooperate intensively with local health care providers. The novel legal directive according to section sign 116 b has significantly improved reimbursement for Marfan centers and allows for improving the quality of medical care.