A Retrospective, Cost-minimization Analysis of Disposable and Traditional Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Medicare Paid Claims

Traditional negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) systems are considered durable. The pump is designed for use by numerous patients over a period of several years. Recently developed smaller, disposable devices are designed for single-patient use. A retrospective analysis of 2012-2014 national Medicare claims data was used to examine payments associated with the use of traditional and disposable NPWT systems. Data extracted included NPWT episodes from the Limited Data Set Standard Analytic Files including the 5% sample for traditional NPWT and 100% sample for disposable NPWT. NPWT episodes were identified using claim service dates and billing codes. Mean costs per episode were compared and analyzed using chi-squared tests for comparisons between patients who received traditional and those who used disposable NPWT. For continuous variables, statistical significance was assessed using Mann-Whitney U tests. The data included traditional (n = 2938; mean age 66.6 years) and disposable (n = 3522; mean age 67.6 years) episodes for the 2 NPWT groups. Wound types differed for NPWT groups (P <.0001) and included surgical (1134 [39%] versus 764 [22%]), generic open (850 [29%] versus 342 [10%]), skin ulcers (561 [19%] versus 1301 [37%]), diabetic ulcers (240 [8%] versus 342 [10%]), and circulatory system wounds (105 [4%] versus 563 [16%]). Average payment amounts were $4650 ± $2782 for traditional and $1532 ± $1767 per disposable NPWT episode (P <.0001). Payment differences were not affected by wound or comorbidity characteristics. Using the 2016 rates, average payments were $3501 for traditional and $1564 for disposable NPWT. Considering the rate of NPWT use in the United States and the results of this study suggesting substantial potential cost savings, additional analyses and cost-effectiveness studies are warranted.