SpecialtyCare and the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) recently hosted a webinar to showcase how ECMO is a therapy worth investing in, both for its capacity as a revenue driver and its life-saving capability for an expanding range of conditions. Here are some highlights of the presentation.

The Increasing Demand for ECMO

Health organizations may be concerned about starting an ECMO program because transferring patients to other hospitals is currently easier. In addition to financial startup costs, ECMO programs require specialized staff and the ability to meet complex care needs. There may also be the risk of low patient volume.

However, an ECMO program is a promising long-term investment that can be successful with expertise and support. The demand for ECMO is expected to increase in the future for the following reasons:

• The rise of cardiovascular disease. Currently, 900,000 cardiac surgeries are performed in the US each year. Over 70% of American adults are overweight, and one in three have hypertension.
• The rise of respiratory illnesses. Approximately 190,000 people are diagnosed with ARDS each year, and 4.6% US adults live with COPD. In 2023, the number of states at risk for multiple respiratory epidemics was 21, up from 15 in 2022.
• The expansion in ECMO use cases. ECMO can be used for conditions like myocardial infarction, explosive myocarditis, sudden cardiac arrest, cardiogenic shock, severe asthma, E-CPR, sepsis, pulmonary embolism, hypothermia, pulmonary hypertension, meconium aspiration, and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). 
• Transplant needs are increasing. ECMO enables Normothermic Regional Perfusion (NRP), which extends the viability window for organs and increases the potential for organs to be transplanted after donor circulatory death. This is especially significant because lung transplants are becoming more common: lung transplants increased by 148% between 2011 and 2022.

The Opportunity that ECMO Presents

ECMO is no longer a salvage therapy; it has treatment applications that can improve outcomes for more than just critically ill patients. This includes the use of “Awake ECMO,” where the patient is lightly sedated, participating in physical therapy, and not receiving mechanical ventilatory support. Additionally, patients receiving transplants can be bridged with ECMO, reducing the risk of adverse complications during surgery.

ECMO is a revenue driver because it’s one of the top five highest-paying DRG codes today. Moreover, average reimbursements are well over $100k per patient and are reimbursable for up to 23 days. When hospitals retain patients instead of transferring them, they can keep revenue that otherwise would have been lost — in addition to improving the patient experience by allowing them to stay near loved ones, have the same doctors, and experience the same continuity of care. ECMO programs can also result in increased inbound referrals. In the U.S., approximately one-third of patients receiving extracorporeal life support originate from another hospital.

The market for ECMO is far from saturated, presenting a unique opportunity to make an investment in the early stages of its growth. Over 100+ new ECMO programs have started in the US in the last 3-5 years, but there are still fewer than 400 ECMO programs in the US today. Meanwhile, the estimated value of the US ECMO machine market is approximately $79.9 million.

Use Our ECMO Revenue Calculator

But what’s the opportunity that ECMO presents to your particular hospital or health organization? You can find out today with our ECMO Revenue Calculator. See if an ECMO program would be a viable investment for earning more revenue and improving patient care.

If you decide that an ECMO program would benefit your hospital and patients, you don’t have to set it up alone. SpecialtyCare has the expertise, experience, and staff to help you start and maintain your ECMO program, decreasing your risks and helping you hit the ground running. We can provide the structure, specialists, and guidance you need to help your ECMO program be successful. Contact us today to learn more!