An Analysis of Current Treatment Trends in Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy in the Medicare Database

BACKGROUND: The use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the Medicare population is not well described. PURPOSE: To investigate the national use of PRP among Medicare beneficiaries, including the incidence and conditions for which it was used in both operative and nonoperative settings, and determine charges to Medicare. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiology study. METHODS: The Medicare Standard Analytical Files within the PearlDiver database were queried for PRP injections by use of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code 0232T from 2010 to 2014. A search of every associated International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, code and CPT code on the day of the injection was performed, and codes were broadly categorized as shoulder, knee, elbow, hip, and foot/ankle. These categories were then subdivided into 2 groups based on whether the injection was performed at the time of surgery or for a nonoperative condition. The patient data were analyzed by demographics and geographic region. In further analysis, the charges sent to Medicare for PRP injections were stratified by year and musculoskeletal site. RESULTS: A total of 3654 PRP injections were coded for and administered during the study period; 57% of recipients were men and 33% were 65 to 69 years of age. We found that 42% of all PRP injections were administered in the southern geographic region. PRP injections were most commonly associated with shoulder diagnoses, followed closely by the foot and ankle and by the knee. The majority of injections given for shoulder conditions were performed at the time of surgery, whereas the majority of knee conditions treated with PRP were associated with nonoperative treatments. Annual charges to Medicare for PRP injections increased 400%, from $500,000 in 2010 to more than $2 million in 2014. CONCLUSION: The use and breadth of PRP therapy have increased substantially in Medicare beneficiaries. Further research is required to obtain a consensus on treatment recommendations for PRP use in this population in addition to strategies to obtain insurance reimbursement.