Surgery for obesity and related diseases : official journal of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery
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The objective of this study was to examine how much of the impact of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' national coverage decision (NCD) on bariatric surgery was driven by the restriction of reimbursements to Centers of Excellence (COE). We used inpatient care data of those with employer-sponsored insurance plans across United States using the MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounter Database (2003-2009). ⋯ The accreditation-based NCD in bariatric surgery was associated with lower rates of reoperations and complications. Such policies may become a powerful tool to improve surgical safety and quality.