For which of the following conditions do hospitals not receive a higher reimbursement rate post-TKA or THA?

Hospitals do not receive a higher reimbursement rate if a surgical site infection occurs post-total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA) because surgical site infections are considered a "hospital-acquired condition" (HAC). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have implemented policies to discourage complications that arise during hospitalization by not providing additional reimbursement for cases that are preventable.

In contrast, conditions such as air embolism, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and falls with additional trauma may be classified differently and can sometimes be associated with higher reimbursement rates because they are not categorized as preventable conditions under the same guidelines. Therefore, these complications may contribute to increased resource utilization that justifies higher costs. The lack of additional reimbursement for surgical site infections reinforces the importance of quality care and infection prevention in the hospital setting.