Higher dermatologist density is associated with increased use of dermatology procedures and billing to Medicare, according to a study published online Nov. 29 in JAMA Dermatology.

Sally Y. Tan, M.P.H., from Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study using the Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment database to characterize the effect of geographic variations in dermatologist density on the provision of dermatology procedures in Medicare. Dermatology-related procedures were defined by the top 50 billing codes, which accounted for more than 95 percent of procedures billed by dermatologists. A total of 10,391 dermatologists were included.