AAOS Invites Members to August In-district Advocacy Event

Ricardo Rodriguez, MD, FAAOS

The National Orthopaedic Leadership Conference (NOLC) is an annual gathering of AAOS leaders in Washington, D.C., built around advocacy for the orthopaedic community. One key feature of the event is a day of meetings on Capitol Hill, during which orthopaedic surgeons take the Council on Advocacy’s legislative priorities directly to members of Congress. Although the business portion of the 2020 NOLC was carried out virtually in June due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is as important as ever that AAOS members continue to engage with lawmakers. That is why AAOS has transformed this portion of NOLC this year into a nationwide, two-week, in-district advocacy event taking place Aug. 15–29.

The Cons of Alternative Payment Models for Joint Replacement

Mary I. O’Connor, MD, FAAOS; Ramon L. Jimenez, MD, FAAOS; Michael L. Parks, MD, FAAOS; Charles Nelson, MD, FAAOS

Healthcare reform has shifted payments from volume- to value-based models with a goal of lowering costs while maintaining or improving outcomes. An unintended consequence of the models, in their current form, is the threat posed to safety net hospitals that traditionally provide greater access to vulnerable populations.

‘The Bone Beat’ Podcast Details the AAOS OrthoPAC’s Significance

As the only national political action committee (PAC) dedicated solely to representing orthopaedic surgeons before Congress, the nonpartisan Orthopaedic PAC (OrthoPAC) is a powerful tool for advancing AAOS priorities. On the April episode of “The Bone Beat,” Kristen Coultas, who leads advocacy communications for the AAOS Office of Government Relations, and cohost Meredith Allison, who leads AAOS’ corporate political outreach, spoke with John T. Gill, MD, FAAOS, chair of the OrthoPAC Executive Committee, about the PAC’s record-breaking achievements, support for candidates for Congress, and how to get involved.

Podcast Recap: CMS Regulatory Response to COVID-19

Kristen Coultas

A recent add-on episode for AAOS’ new advocacy podcast, “The Bone Beat,” offered orthopaedic surgeons the unique opportunity to hear directly from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the agency’s response to COVID-19. Senior Medical Advisor in the Office of the Administrator Marion Everett Couch, MD, PhD, MBA, shared insights on the difficult decision to recommend postponing nonemergent surgeries and procedures during the pandemic, as well as the sweeping regulatory changes made to help America’s healthcare systems prepare.

Congressional Response to COVID-19

Catherine Hayes

The congressional response to the COVID-19 pandemic has encompassed four major pieces of legislation and trillions of dollars in new spending since early March. As the healthcare industry adapts to this unprecedented crisis, AAOS continues to work with allies in Congress to ensure that its priorities, including the preservation of orthopaedic private practice, are advanced in relief legislation.