Healthcare costs continue to rise at an unsustainable pace, placing significant financial pressure on employers tasked with providing coverage for their workforce. Compounding this issue are unnecessary surgeries, variable care quality, and post-operative complications—all of which drive avoidable costs for payors, employers, and employees. In fact, employers today are often paying 250–300% above Medicare rates for surgical procedures. The question remains: how can organizations meaningfully reduce these costs without sacrificing quality of care?
What’s Driving Employer Healthcare Spending?
High complication rates, unwarranted surgeries, prolonged recovery periods, and inconsistent outcomes are among the leading drivers of cost escalation. Delayed or deferred care—often due to financial barriers—exacerbates health issues and increases downstream costs. While traditional Centers of Excellence (COE) programs attempt to negotiate lower procedure rates, they often fall short of addressing core drivers of waste, such as surgical overutilization and variations in clinical quality.
The BICMD Solution: A Smarter COE Model
BICMD’s Center of Excellence (COE) program redefines value by aligning cost reduction with clinical appropriateness. Our approach starts with expert second opinions to confirm surgical necessity—ensuring only patients who truly need surgery undergo a procedure. Those who do are referred to elite specialists who deliver evidence-based care and consistently superior outcomes. This disciplined care pathway reduces avoidable spending, minimizes complications, and accelerates return-to-work timelines.
A COE Program Designed to Cut Costs Responsibly
Unlike traditional COEs that focus solely on facility-level certification, BICMD’s model emphasizes individual physician performance. By selectively contracting with top-tier surgeons who adhere to best practices, we reduce unnecessary procedures, avoid costly revisions, and promote optimal recovery. Employers benefit from improved outcomes and a more predictable, lower-cost claims experience.
Avoiding Unnecessary Surgery
Up to 30% of surgeries in the U.S. may be unnecessary. BICMD’s integrated second opinion process filters out inappropriate procedures at the outset. This strategy eliminates waste, reduces risk exposure, and improves long-term outcomes for employees—all while delivering immediate cost savings to employers and payors.
Reducing Complication-Driven Costs
Surgical complications are a hidden but significant driver of employer healthcare spending. Through surgeon-level selection and adherence to strict clinical quality benchmarks, BICMD’s COE network outperforms national averages for infection rates and readmissions. Fewer complications translate into lower total episode costs and faster employee recovery.
Local Access, National Quality
Unlike COE programs that require long-distance travel for care, BICMD delivers a ‘local-first’ model. By connecting employees with high-performing specialists in their region, we remove travel-related barriers that often discourage participation. This results in five times higher compliance than traditional COEs and enhances both clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction.
Proven Results Through Rigorous Analysis
BICMD’s impact is supported by extensive outcomes analysis. Employers using our COE platform have achieved:
- – 30–50% reduction in unnecessary surgeries
- – Over 50% lower complication rates
- – Higher employee satisfaction through improved access and experience
Achieving Better Outcomes at Lower Cost
BICMD’s Center of Excellence program enables employers to control healthcare costs without compromising the standard of care. Our model prioritizes surgical necessity, quality outcomes, and patient accessibility. The result: measurable savings and healthier, more productive employees.
Connect with BICMD
Discover how your organization can reduce healthcare costs, improve outcomes, and elevate employee experience. Contact BICMD today to learn how our COE model can transform your approach to musculoskeletal care.
