Healthcare Policy in 2017

Catherine Boudreaux Hayes; Elizabeth Fassbender, Esq.

Although 2017 was an impassioned and oftentimes highly partisan year for Congress and the Trump Administration, the AAOS Office of Government Relations (OGR) kept legislative and regulatory topics important to orthopaedics front and center. The following is a review of 2017 healthcare legislation, regulation, and other issues that affect orthopaedic surgeons.

CMS Announces Final Rules Impacting Orthopaedic Surgeons

Elizabeth Fassbender, Esq.

In November 2017, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized several rules that impact the orthopaedic community. They include the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System rule, the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) rule, and the rule for the second year of the Quality Payment Program (QPP).

CMS Shifts Direction with New Initiatives

Shreyasi Deb, PhD, MBA

On Oct. 26, 2017, Seema Verma, MPH, the administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), invited the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and other stakeholders to a listening session at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) headquarters in Washington, D.C. During this meeting, she announced the launch of the “Patient over Paperwork” initiative.

My Day in D.C.

Jacob G. Calcei, MD

As the new resident fellow on the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Political Action Committee (PAC), I recently had the opportunity to visit the AAOS office of government relations (OGR) in Washington, D.C., and to meet with several members of Congress. Sitting on the train from New York to Washington, I could feel the anticipation and excitement setting in. I was going to represent the orthopaedic profession on Capitol Hill!

Second Look – Advocacy

These items originally appeared in AAOS Headline News Now, a thrice-weekly enewsletter that keeps AAOS members up to date on clinical, socioeconomic, and political issues, with links to more detailed information. Subscribe at www.aaos.org/news/news.asp (member login required). The American Medical Association released a guide designed to help hospital-employed physicians participate in the Medicare Quality Payment Program created under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act.

The CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating System

Andrew Krause, MD; Zain Sayeed, MD, MHA; Jasmine Saleh, MD, MPH; Muhammad T. Padela, MD, MSc; Khaled J. Saleh, MD, MSc, FRCS(C), MHCM, CPE

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is working to improve the healthcare system in the United States by enhancing the quality of care provided to patients. This reform focuses less on recognizing the number of services delivered and more on rewarding performance of healthcare providers.

It's Time to Take a Second Look at the RUC

Matthew Twetten, MA, MHCDS; R. Dale Blasier, MD, MBA; Dena McDonough, PA-C, MHCDS

Almost since its inception, the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Multispecialty Relative-Value Update Committee (RUC) has had its critics. Recently, groups representing primary care physicians and other special interests have reemerged to voice concerns about the disproportionate influence of specialty societies on RUC decision making.