State Legislative Update

Elizabeth Fassbender

As legislative sessions wrap up in many states, budget negotiations and decisions on whether to expand Medicaid under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act may top many agendas. But several states also addressed issues that directly affect orthopaedic medicine, including direct access to physical therapy, physician self-referral, and podiatry scope of practice. The following are highlights from some recent state efforts.

House Releases SGR Replacement Legislation

Elizabeth Fassbender

On May 28, in an effort to “remove the annual threat of looming provider cuts by permanently repealing the flawed sustainable growth rate (SGR) and replacing it with a system that incentivizes quality care,” Republican members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee released draft legislation to reform the Medicare payment system. The draft provided an opportunity for members of Congress and interested stakeholders to offer feedback and comments. A week later, on June 5, Rep.

Coverage, Utilization, and Costs

Jordan C. Apfeld, BA; A. Alex Jahangir, MD; Hassan Mir, MD; Manish K. Sethi, MD

Orthopaedists often face the option of providing health services to uninsured Americans. Many of these patients could gain insurance coverage under new parameters for Medicaid created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Congressional Budget Office projects that the ACA will decrease the number of uninsured Americans by almost 30 million over the next 5 years; 11 million of the newly insured will be covered under the Medicaid expansion.

PAC Challenge Grants Work

Roshan P. Shah, MD, JD; John M. Froelich, MD; Kristin Leighty; Samir Mehta, MD; the Washington Health Policy Fellows

It is no longer enough for today’s physicians simply to read the literature, have excellent technical skills, and provide compassionate patient care. Increasingly, the ability of orthopaedic surgeons to deliver quality musculoskeletal care is shaped by political forces and the public eye. The healthcare sector has grown into such a behemoth, with so many stakeholders, that, unfortunately, the central focus in the delivery of health care is no longer the physician–patient relationship.

AAOS Selects Two New Washington Health Policy Fellows

Christopher J. Dy, MD, MPH, and Eric Makhni, MD, MBA, have been selected to serve as the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Washington Health Policy Fellows for 2013. The AAOS Washington Health Policy Fellowship Program is designed to encourage participation by orthopaedic senior residents in the federal health policy arena. The program seeks to foster the development of a new generation of advocates who are interested in policy-relevant topics of long-range importance. Dr.

What Have I Learned?

Lawrence S. Halperin, MD

Not too many years ago, I was one of the apathetic physicians. I tried to take care of my patients, raise my kids, make a decent living, serve on hospital committees, and keep my head down. I thought we were being sliced up by the government, the insurance companies, the hospitals, and the lawyers, with no help in sight. Lawrence S.

Thinking of Running for Office?

Plan to attend Orthopaedic PAC’s Candidate Workshop The Orthopaedic Political Action Committee (PAC) strives to educate and help elect orthopaedic surgeons and other specialty physicians to political office. Now, more than ever, America needs the expertise and leadership of physician legislators.