Geisinger announces it will stand behind cost of hip surgery for a lifetime

DANVILLE, Pa. and CASTEL SAN PIETRO, Switzerland – Once again, Geisinger is pioneering a ground-breaking new model for care in which the innovative health system has announced it will expand its ProvenCare Total Hip program even further by standing behind the costs associated with orthopaedic surgeries for a lifetime. 

Geisinger collaborated with Medacta International, a global leader in orthopaedic medical devices, on a first-of-its-kind pilot program to provide a Geisinger Health Plan member who was receiving hip-replacement surgery an unlimited time frame for future surgical care and cost that may be needed. These costs will be proportionally shared between Geisinger and Medacta, including the device itself and all hospital costs, while the patient remains with Geisinger Health Plan and is treated by Geisinger providers. 

“Surgeon education and mentorship is a core pillar of Medacta’s mission, with hundreds of surgeons from around the world receiving training each year through our renowned M.O.R.E. Institute and AMIS Education Program,” said Francesco Siccardi, Executive Vice President of Medacta International. “This value-based care partnership with Geisinger, our first, further underscores Medacta’s commitment to improving the patient experience while redefining the orthopedic ‘product’ to encompass not only the implant, but also accompanying surgical technique, education and instrumentation. We are proud to go beyond implant replacement and share in the risk and overall cost of patient care, which we believe to be an unprecedented step for an orthopedic manufacturer.”

The first patient enrolled in the pilot – an active, 53-year-old woman – underwent successful total hip replacement surgery on Monday, February 26, 2018, with plans underway to expand the program. This is the first time ever that a patient will be afforded the full range of care — both hospital care and device replacement — for future revisions at no charge when all services are delivered to Geisinger Health Plan members by Geisinger providers.

Under the country’s current reimbursement system, hospitals are often paid more when something goes wrong during surgery.  Geisinger has long served as the national model for reversing this trend and a champion of delivering high quality care at lower costs to the more than 3 million patients seeking treatment every year. 

“Rather than follow the prevalent fee-for-service model, Geisinger rewards value,” said Michael Suk, MD, JD, MPH, MBA chair of the Geisinger Musculoskeletal Institute and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. “When it comes to the hip replacement pilot program, what we’re saying to our patients is that the level of service we’ll provide will be so exemplary that if there’s a problem tomorrow or 20, 30, or 40 years from now, we’ll take care of it. Geisinger continues to drive the national dialogue on value-based orthopaedic surgery through this groundbreaking expansion of our ProvenCare model.”

In 2006, Geisinger transformed the health care industry by introducing its renowned ProvenCare program. This multifaceted program includes the reengineering of care using evidence-based "bundles" and adoption of a fixed per-case rate that covers preadmission, inpatient, and follow up care, including any and all complications 90 days post–procedure. 

In 2014, Geisinger launched ProvenCare Hip Fracture, Total Hip, Total Knee and Lumbar Spine in yet another chapter of the health system’s transformative care. 

“Since introducing the ProvenCare orthopedic protocols, we’ve witnessed a decrease in readmissions and a reduction in length-of-stay figures when it comes to total hip replacements,” said Dr. Suk. “By affixing evidenced-based protocols to all hip and knee surgeries, we are able to ensure the same high-quality care is delivered to every patient, every time. In 2018, we’re expanding our ProvenCare commitment even further.” 

About Medacta International
Medacta® International is a world leading manufacturer of orthopedic implants, neurosurgical systems, and instrumentation. Medacta’s revolutionary approach and responsible innovation have resulted in standard of care breakthroughs in hip replacement with the AMIS® system and total knee replacement with MyKnee® patient matched technology. Over the last 10 years, Medacta has grown dramatically by taking a different approach and placing value on all aspects of the care experience from design to training to sustainability. Medacta is headquartered in Castel San Pietro, Switzerland, and operates in over 30 countries. To learn more about Medacta International, please visit www.medacta.com or follow @Medacta on Twitter.

About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the nonprofit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 126 care sites — including 10 hospital campuses — and Geisinger Health Plan, with more than half a million members in commercial and government plans. Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,700 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $15 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.