Financial Justification for Interventional Pulmonology Programs: Terminology and Programmatic Models

Abstract Interventional pulmonology programs provide clinical benefit to patients and are financially sustainable. In order to appreciate and illustrate the economic value of interventional pulmonology programs to hospital systems, physicians must have an understanding of basic healthcare finance. Total revenue, adjusted gross revenue, contribution margin, variable direct costs, and indirect costs are terms that are essential for understanding the finances of bronchoscopy. Command of such vocabulary and its application is crucial for interventional pulmonologists to successfully establish financially sustainable bronchoscopy programs. Two significant features of an economically sustainable bronchoscopy program are high procedural volumes and low direct cost per case. Interventional pulmonology programs are valuable to the patients being served and hospitals as a whole. Consideration of the various factors needed to maintain financial sustainability are essential to improve the quality of care for patients as the cost of care remains a critical driver in defining value.