Table 1

Unit cost of healthcare resources

Healthcare resourceSource (2006 Medicare Allowed Charges)
Study Treatments
Spinal manipulative therapy visit$30.74Average resource use from random sample of 20 participants (301 visits)
Supervised rehabilitative exercise visit (60 minutes)$112.80HCPCS 97110 (4 units)
Home exercise and advice visit (60 minutes)$115.09HCPCS 97110 (3 units) & 97535 (1 unit)
Non-study Treatments
Chiropractic evaluation$37.07HCPCS 99212
Spinal manipulative therapy$25.37HCPCS 98940
Heat$13.40HCPCS 97010 (1 unit)
Ultrasound$12.30HCPCS 97035 (1 unit)
Acupuncture (60 minutes)$119.00HCPCS 97810 (1 unit) & 97811 (3 units)
Manual therapy$26.52HCPCS 97140 (1 unit)
Physician evaluation$51.26HCPCS 99213
Physical therapy evaluation$75.57HCPCS 97001
Exercise therapy (30 minutes)$56.39HCPCS 97110 (2 units)
Traction$14.55HCPCS 97012 (1 unit)
Massage (30 minutes)$45.79HCPCS 97124 (2 units)
Cervical spine radiographs$33.93HCPCS 72040 Global
Epidural injection$431.512006 Average for HCPCS 62310
CT$251.22HCPCS 70490 Global
MRI$500.84HCPCS 72141 Global
Fusion$15,181.14(Facility + Anesthesiologist + Surgeon Costs)
Facility Costs$12,157.44Average reimbursement for DRG's 471–3
Anesthesiologist Costs$218.682006 Average for HCPCS 00630
Surgeon Costs$3,023.70(Arthrodesis + Discectomy + Autograft + Instrumentation)
 - Arthrodesis$734.35HCPCS 22554
 - Discectomy$1,048.68HCPCS 63075
 - Autograft$203.62HCPCS 20938
 - Anterior Instrumentation$818.37HCPCS 22845
HCPCS = Healthcare common procedure coding system;
DRG = Diagnosis-related group