A new report from the WCRI gives policymakers an understanding of how hospital outpatient payments for common knee and shoulder surgeries compare across states and how payment rules shape costs.

Key findings include:

– – Faster payment growth in states without fixed-amount fee schedules: From 2011 to 2024, hospital outpatient surgery payments rose by roughly twice as much in charge-based states and states without fee schedules, compared with the typical fixed-amount fee schedule state.

Read the full announcement here.  As they note, the study (Hospital Outpatient Payment Index: Interstate Variations and Policy Analysis, 2026 Edition) is free for members and available to nonmembers for a fee.  Click the link to find out more!