Annual Meeting Events, Medical Liability Legislation, and More
For questions or concerns on these or other advocacy issues, contact the Office of Government Relations at dc@aaos.org.
 
BREAKING: AAOS is closely monitoring the new Republican plan to replace the Affordable Care Act and will have an analysis available soon. In the meantime, CLICK HERE to read the legislative recommendations from the Ways and Means Committee, CLICK HERE to read a section-by-section of the Ways and Means legislation, CLICK HERE to read the legislative recommendations from the Energy and Commerce Committee, CLICK HERE to read a section-by-section of the Energy and Commerce legislation.

Advocacy at the Annual Meeting With a new administration and new Congress, 2017 promises to be a busy year for health care reform. Mark your calendars and plan to take advantage of the following advocacy opportunities at the 2017 Annual Meeting!

2016 Orthopaedic PAC Luncheon AAOS Orthopaedic PAC members are invited to a special annual PAC luncheon on March 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in convention center room 6B. Former Representative and U.S. Senate nominee Dr. Joe Heck will address 2016-2017 AAOS Orthopaedic PAC members at the luncheon. With Congress and the administration tackling health care reform now, hearing from a physician and Washington insider is certain to be an insightful and dynamic discussion. Ribbons are required and will be available to be picked up onsite. Seating is by availability. If you have not RSVP’d, please do so now by clicking here.

Click here to read more.

 
Attending the AAOS Annual Meeting? Stop by the Communities in Motion Booth
The AAOS will be launching Communities in Motion, a new extension of the Academy’s Orthopaedic Public Awareness Campaign, A Nation in Motion®, during its 2017 Annual Meeting in San Diego.

Communities in Motion will feature an online virtual park with patient friendly content such as exercise tips and bone and joint health columns that empowers children and families to take control of their musculoskeletal health. The objective is to encourage people of all ages and abilities to have fun and exercise together to build stronger bones for life.

Come preview this 3D replica of the virtual park at the San Diego Convention Center, in the Ballroom 6 Lobby, Level 2, outside of the Sails Pavilion. Scan your badge at the virtual park and staff will send you detailed information about how you can participate in the campaign.

For more information, contact the Academy’s public relations department at media@aaos.org.
Protecting Access to Care Act Moves Forward On February 28, 2017, the House Judiciary Committee approved the Protecting Access to Care Act (H.R. 1215) by a vote of 18-17. The Protecting Access to Care Act reforms medical litigation laws in order to reduce the costly practice of defensive medicine, and save taxpayers billions of dollars while increasing access to healthcare. Introduced by Rep. Steve King (R-IA),  the Protecting Access to Care Act is modeled after proven reforms already in place in Texas, California, and many other states around the country that have had a positive effect on increasing access to care and keeping health care costs affordable for patients and physicians. Click here to read more.
Trump Talks Health Care in Speech to Congress In his first joint address to Congress, President Trump laid out some points on his plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In the speech, Trump backed the use of tax credits, said Americans should be able to buy insurance across state lines, and said state governors should be given resources and flexibility on Medicaid to ensure that “no one is left out.”

“Tonight, I am also calling on this Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare with reforms that expand choice, increase access, lower costs, and at the same time, provide better health care,” said Trump. “Mandating every American to buy government-approved health insurance was never the right solution for America. The way to make health insurance available to everyone is to lower the cost of health insurance, and that is what we will do. We should help Americans purchase their own coverage, through the use of tax credits and expanded Health Savings Accounts – but it must be the plan they want, not the plan forced on them by the government.”

Click here to read more.

Sen. Barrasso Awarded 2017 Dr. Nathan Davis Award

AAOS Office of Government Relations staff Kyle Shah and Graham Newson with Sen. Barrasso, Dr. Michael Suk, and AMA president-elect, Dr. David Barbe
House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee Focuses on User Fee Programs On Thursday, March 2, the House Energy and Commerce’s Health Subcommittee met to begin the first of a series of hearings regarding the reauthorization of the User Fee Acts (UFAs), which permit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to collect certain user fees from drug and medical device manufacturers to fund the approval process. The UFAs all require reauthorization by September 2017 for a renewal term to last from 2018 through 2022. Thursday’s hearing dealt exclusively with the Generic Drugs and Biosimilars User Fee Acts (GDUFA and BsUFA).

Click here to read more.

State Corner: Success in Puerto Rico In 2016, the Sociedad Puertorriqueña de Ortopedia y Traumatología (SPOT), Puerto Rico’s orthopaedic society, faced a major issue when Medicaid Advantage health insurers in the state stopped covering disposable materials. Health insurers claimed that since the devices were not implantable, the patient or physician must cover the cost. SPOT applied for a grant from the State Legislative and Regulatory Issues committee and hired a lawyer. The Court sided with SPOT.

SPOT, using the SLRI grant, filed an amicus to instruct the court on how surgeries and procedures are performed, including how equipment is used during an orthopaedic procedure. It was decided that the payment for disposables supplied by orthopaedic device companies for the use of implantation of a device during an orthopaedic procedure must be covered by health insurance companies.

Click here to read more.

Political Graphic of the Week Click here to download infographic.
What We’re Reading HHS Secretary Price Won’t Rule Out Medicare Changes, Washington Examiner, 3/5/17

High Anxiety: Healthcare Execs Want Coverage Continuity, Modern Healthcare, 3/4/17

Republican Health Care Push Coming; Success a Question Mark, Associated Press, 3/4/17

Senate Finance Committee Sends Trump’s CMS Nominee to Floor, Morning Consult, 3/2/17

Health Care Is Front and Center in Democrats’ Response to Trump Address, The New York Times, 3/1/17

Republicans Fight Over What Trump Meant on Obamacare, Politico, 3/1/17

House Panel to Mark Up Obamacare Repeal Next Week, Trump Ally Says, Morning Consult, 3/1/17

Trump Backs Healthcare Tax Credit Amid Conservative Opposition, The Hill, 2/28/17

Republicans Near Make-or-Break Moment on Obamacare Repeal, Politico, 2/28/17

GOP’s New Plan to Repeal Obamacare: Dare Fellow Republicans to Block Effort, The Wall Street Journal, 2/27/17

A Divided White House Still Offers Little Guidance on Replacing Obamacare, The Washington Post, 2/26/17
Follow Our New Twitter Account @AAOSAdvocacy
Quality Payment Program Resources

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently posted new resources to the Quality Payment Program website to help eligible clinicians and data submission vendors successfully prepare to participate in the program. According to the agency email announcement, CMS encourages these eligible clinicians, registries, qualified clinical data registries (QCDRs), and electronic health record (EHR) vendors to visit the website to review the new materials and information, including:

For Clinicians:

Click here to read more.

PAC Participation Leader Board by State Click here, to view the interactive version of the map below, which features each state’s PAC support through September 1, 2016.
Learn More About the Advisor’s Circle

In 2016, the Orthopaedic PAC announced a new program specifically designed for group practices, called the Advisor’s Circle. If your group practice is looking to become more involved in the political advocacy arena, or for more sophisticated opportunities, the Advisor’s Circle offers just this. We have created a tiered benefits structure that offers unique activities that will exponentially increase your partners’, your practice’s, your patients’ and your own political reach. Benefits vary, from congressional fundraising retreats; to legislative fly-in assistance and in-district training and PAC checks; even a leadership role in bringing forth priority issues to the PAC Executive Committee. The Advisor’s Circle has a broad array of benefits that are completely separate from our individual donor benefits.

To schedule a one on one meeting to learn more about the Advisor’s Circle and a free assessment of your group’s needs email Stacie Monroe at monroe@aaos.org.
AAOS Orthopaedic PAC Online Contribution Center and Mobile Orthopaedic PAC is now mobile! Supporting by phone is easy: simply text AAOS to the number 41444, and follow the link, no log-in required. We encourage our supporters to share this technology with your colleagues who have yet to renew or join and to encourage signing up on a recurring basis, for just $84 a month, or $250 a quarter you can become part of our Capitol Club Program. And don’t forget! The Orthopaedic PAC website features an online contribution center, which can accept contributions via credit card by visiting the site and using your AAOS login credentials. Credit card contributions can also be conveniently scheduled for a monthly, quarterly or yearly recurring donation. Visit www.aaos.org/pac and select Donate to the Orthopaedic PAC for more information or to contribute today.

Don’t remember when you last contributed? Log in to the contribution center today to view your complete donation history!