As this issue of AAOS Now went to press, the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction acknowledged that it failed to reach a bipartisan deficit reduction agreement. As a result, $1.2 trillion in across-the-board cuts to federal spending will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2013. These cuts include a potential 2 percent reduction in Medicare reimbursements.

Additionally, the failure to find a solution to the sustainable growth rate (SGR) means that physicians face a 27.4 percent reduction in Medicare payments on Jan. 1, 2012, without action by Congress.

Fixing the SGR remains a priority for the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). Watch AAOS Headline News Now and AAOS Advocacy Now for more information.