Hospital Guarantees Joint Replacement Surgery

It’s guaranteed! Virginia Mason Medical Center of Seattle, Washington, is offering a surgical warranty for hip and knee replacement surgery. According to its news release, the warranty protects patients, insurance providers and employers from incurring additional costs for the treatment of avoidable, surgery-related complications.

The warranty covers the full range of care—diagnosis, surgery and rehabilitation—for an adult patient’s hip or knee replacement when all services are delivered by Virginia Mason. The warranty does not cover complications due to failure of the surgically implanted hip or knee device.

Chairman and CEO Gary S. Kaplan, M.D., said, “Health care costs must be tamed. We view our surgical warranty as a significant step in that direction. Offering this assurance speaks to the skill of our surgeons and of their teams, and of our willingness as an organization to stand behind their work.” Virginia Mason is the first hospital in its region to offer this protection to patients, their insurers and employers.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics doctors performed more than 719, 000 knee replacement surgeries and 332, 000 hip replacements in 2010.

“Under the current reimbursement system in our country, hospitals are often paid more for surgery that does not go well than for surgery that is completely successful, ” Kaplan said. “We find this unacceptable and contrary to the needs of patients, employers and insurers paying the bill.