AAOS Now, April 2019
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Advocacy in Action
How the AAOS Office of Government Relations (OGR) is working for you … Submitted recommendations to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions to help address America’s rising healthcare costs. They included slowing the growing trend of hospital consolidation, incentivizing both the interoperability of electronic health records systems as well as the use of registries, and finding a federal solution to the problem of inadequate insurance networks.
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OrthoPAC Toasts to 20 Years
When the Orthopaedic Political Action Committee (OrthoPAC) recognized its 20th birthday on Feb. 6, it had a lot to celebrate. There were significant victories in the past year alone, including finally repealing the Independent Payment Advisory Board and, after five years of tireless advocacy, getting the AAOS-led Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act signed into law.
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PAC Corner
In March, the Orthopaedic Political Action Committee (OrthoPAC), which supports candidates for federal office who champion orthopaedic issues and helps advance the legislative agenda of AAOS, was named the 2019 Outstanding Association PAC by the Public Affairs Council. The OrthoPAC was nominated for its Capitol Club Black Card campaign, which created an exclusive membership card, fashioned to look like an elite black credit card, for the $1,000+ Capitol Club donors.
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The Consolidation Effect: Preserving Choice and Competition in America’s Healthcare System
On Dec. 3, 2018, the secretaries of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury issued a report in response to Executive Order 13813, which directed the administration to facilitate the development and operation of a healthcare system providing high-quality care at a reasonable cost by promoting choice and competition. The report confirmed what many already know too well—fewer choices and rising costs are increasingly real problems for the American healthcare system.
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How Does Advocacy Benefit AAOS Members?
As an orthopaedic surgeon, you expect the freedom to practice in the best interests of your patients as well as to be fairly compensated for care you provide. That’s why advocacy is essential—to promote relevant diagnostic and treatment procedures, advance reasonable reimbursement policies, and protect against unfair regulatory requirements. AAOS is actively engaged in promoting and protecting the profession for members.