Preoperative Education for Total Joint Arthroplasty: Does Reimbursement Reduction Threaten Improved Outcomes?

Background: Nurse navigation programs have been previously shown to reduce cost and improve outcomes after total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Medicare has proposed a 13.7% reduction in professional fee reimbursement for TJA procedures that may adversely impact providers' and health systems' ability to fund ancillary support resources such as nurse navigators.