Advocacy in Action

AAOS News

Orthopaedic Advocacy Week Concludes With Ask for Members to Get Involved

The second annual Orthopaedic Advocacy Week took place Aug. 1-5 and gave all AAOS members based in the United States the opportunity to help advance musculoskeletal care. Through simple, virtual activities like sending a prewritten letter to policymakers and sharing graphics on social media, they advocated for priority healthcare policy issues including prior authorization reform, preserving Medicare reimbursement, increasing safety from workplace violence, as well as scope of practice protections. Together, these efforts from more than 300 formally-registered event participants and a total of 700 orthopaedic surgeons resulted in a resounding success.

Healthcare Policy News

Large Health-Tax-Climate Package is Signed Into Law
President Joe Biden signed a sweeping $750 billion health care, tax and climate bill into law on August 16. The package gives Medicare the authority to set the price of certain high-expenditure prescription drugs in both Part B and Part D programs. Medicare is also now able to negotiate prices on 100 drugs over the next decade. Also relevant to orthopaedic surgeons, the legislation caps out-of-pocket Part D spending at $2,000 per year, extends Affordable Care Act premium subsidies for three years, and sets a $35 insulin cap for Medicare beneficiaries. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the legislation will result in a net decrease in the deficit totaling $102 billion over the next decade. Read more about the bill…

Prior Authorization Lifted for Some Orthotic Devices
Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule that suspended prior authorization requirements for certain lumbar-sacral and knee braces. In the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies rule, CMS explained that it is indefinitely suspending the prior authorization requirement for these orthotics when the item is needed immediately during an office visit due to medical necessity, or when it is provided immediately by a physical or occupational therapist as part of a therapy session. The announcement and list of exempted orthoses can be found here. AAOS continues to advocate for easing prior authorization requirements across settings of care Learn more about this advocacy effort…

Outstanding Incentive Payments Still Available for 2020 APM Participants
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is notifying clinician participants in the Quality Payment Program’s Alternative Payment Model of their eligibility for the 5% incentive bonus payments as a result of qualifying 2020 participant status. While payments began to roll out earlier this summer, CMS has published a list of participants who have not yet been paid and whom CMS was unable to reach to complete the outstanding payments. CMS is requesting that participants who have not yet received their payments for 2020 search the 2022 QP Notice for APM Incentive Payment zip file for their name and submit the 2022 Billing Information Collection Form to the Quality Payment Program Help Desk by November 1, 2022. Contact the help desk and read more…

OrthoPAC Raises $25,000 for Charity During “Day of Giving”

The OrthoPAC’s second annual “Day of Giving,” as part of the 2022 Orthopaedic Advocacy Week, was a huge success. More than $113,000 was raised from 343 contributors. To encourage support and thank members who already made a commitment this year, the PAC offered a Charity Match benefit which  allowed donors to double the impact of their donations. OrthoPAC matched donations with a contribution to a 501c3 charity of choice, resulting in more than $25,000 for 33 charities.  View list of charities given to…

·        The Role Of Technology In Improving The Prior Authorization Consumer Experience (Forbes, 8/17)

·        CMS removes prior authorization for select orthopedic devices (Modern Healthcare, 8/9)