Background/Objectives: The increasing prevalence of foot and ankle procedures in the United States has coincided with rising costs of care, exposing socioeconomic disparities within this area of orthopedics. Insurance payor status is one such factor that can affect the quality and accessibility of medical care and has been implicated in orthopaedic patient outcomes. While previous studies in other fields of orthopaedics have demonstrated an association between insurance status and access to treatment, length of hospital stay, post-operative outcomes and complication rates, no comprehensive review has yet explored this relationship in foot and ankle surgery. Thus, the goal of this study is to examine the association between insurance payor status and outcomes in foot and ankle procedures.
Methods: A systematic review of five databases was conducted, focusing on the interplay between insurance coverage and foot/ankle procedures. Included studies reported on insurance payor status and patient outcomes following foot and ankle surgery. Extracted outcomes included time to be seen by a provider, complication and revision rates, post-operative Emergency Department (ED)/Urgent Care utilization, readmission rates, hospital length of stay, pain, functional scores, discharge destinations, return to work/activity, and follow-up. Meta-analyses were performed using the Revman 5.3 software. Studies that did not qualify for meta-analyses were described qualitatively.
Results: Of 1401 studies identified, 24 texts met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Across the 24 studies, there were a total of 20,950 patients. Noninsured patients had a 59% higher risk of ED/urgent care utilization within 30 days of surgery compared to insured patients [Risk Ratio (RR) = 1.59, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.18 to 2.12,
p < 0.05]. Privately insured patients were seen 3.65 days earlier than patients with government insurance [95% CI = 2.02 to 5.27,
p < 0.0001]. Worker’s Compensation patients had statistically significant findings for poorer outcomes, higher pain scores, and lower functional scores. Similarly, Medicaid patients also fared worse on functional scores and had delayed access to appointments and treatments.
Conclusions: Patients without private insurance have worse pain and functional outcomes, delayed access to care, and increased utilization of emergency resources following foot and ankle procedures. It is crucial for providers to be cognizant of these discrepancies when caring for patients. Further research is needed to better understand the nuances of these insurance-related disparities within foot and ankle subspecialties.
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