GI & Endoscopy

Liver elastography accounted for over 30% of the total billed gastroenterology procedures in 2023, making it the most-performed GI procedure, according to November data from Definitive Healthcare. 

ASCs are known for their cost-saving potential when compared to hospital outpatient departments, according to data from medicare.gov.

In November, Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts announced that beginning Jan. 1, it would no longer cover the use of monitored anesthesia for certain gastrointestinal patients undergoing endoscopic, bronchoscopic or interventional pain procedures. 

Colorado's largest provider of gastroenterology services, Colorado Springs-based Peak Gastroenterology Associates, has added Neil Sharma, MD, to its team. 

Here are four endoscopy updates Becker's has reported on since Dec. 21: 

Undergoing a colonoscopy in the U.S. will cost patients an average of $1,608, according to data from Sidecar Health. The majority of the procedure's cost goes toward facility fees. 

Michelle Fortune, BSN, RN, has been named the leader of surgery and GI services for St. Louis-based Mercy, which includes over 900 physician practice locations and outpatient facilities across Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. 

Alaska is the most expensive state to visit a gastroenterologist, according to Sidecar Health's care calculator. 

Healthcare devicemaker Medtronic has established itself as a significant player in robotic surgery technology in recent years, and 2023 was no exception.

Alaska is the most expensive state to get a GI upper endoscopy in a hospital outpatient department, while Iowa is the most affordable, according to data from Sidecar Health's care calculator.