Prevalence and Practice Patterns of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Procedures Among Otolaryngologists: A National Medicare Claims Analysis

Authors

• Justin Z. Heckman, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow
• Shizue Mito, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Summer 6-12-2026

Abstract

Facial plastic and reconstructive procedures represent a small but relatively well-reimbursed component of ENT Medicare billing. Of 860 otolaryngologists identified in the 2023 CMS Physician and Other Practitioners Public Use File, 104 (12.1%) billed at least one facial plastic CPT code, with a mean of 16.9 services per participating provider. A total of 1,756 facial plastic services were rendered, representing 0.16% of total ENT Medicare volume, with a cumulative reimbursement of $584,834. Mean reimbursement per facial plastic provider-CPT combination was $435, compared to $104 across all ENT services, a 4.2-fold difference. Facial plastic billing was concentrated in non-rural settings (95.5%) and geographically in Washington, Indiana, and Florida. These findings reveal a significant underutilization of facial plastic surgical capacity within otolaryngology and have direct implications for ENT residency curriculum design, the FPRS fellowship pipeline, and health policy efforts to expand access to facial reconstructive care in underserved communities.

Recommended Citation

Heckman, Justin Z. and Mito, Shizue, "Prevalence and Practice Patterns of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Procedures Among Otolaryngologists: A National Medicare Claims Analysis" (2026). MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years. 99.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/som9331/99

Academic Level

medical student

Mentor/PI Department

Pharmacology