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December 1, 2014 Today's Top Story 1. SGR reform has bipartisan support, but clock is ticking. AMA Wire reports that support for the elimination of the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula is building in the U.S. Congress, but notes that lawmakers in the so-called “lame duck” session have a long agenda of items to address before both houses adjourn for the year. Earlier this year, Congress came close to passing the SGR Repeal and Medicare Provider Payment [...]

November 3, 2014 Today's Top Story 1. CMS releases 2015 Physician Fee Schedule final rule. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released its 2015 Physician Fee Schedule final rule. The rule includes changes to fees for physician services, the Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), the Electronic Health Records (EHR) Meaningful Use program, and other quality and payment initiatives. A notable change is a proposal to eliminate all 10- and 90-day global payment periods [...]

October 1, 2014 Today's Top Story 1. Open Payments website opens to public confusion, doubts about accuracy. As mandated by the Affordable Care Act, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled the Open Payments (Sunshine Act) website on Sept. 30, amid concerns among providers about the accuracy of the information it reveals to the public. The website is supposed to reflect payments made to doctors and teaching hospitals by medical device and drug manufacturers and group [...]

September 3, 2014 Today's Top Story 1. CMS continues to tune Open Payments site; pushes review deadline to Sept. 10. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced further delays and outages for the Open Payments (Sunshine Act) website. In response to questions raised by a trade group regarding transparency in rejecting data submissions from manufacturers, the agency has extended the review period deadline from Sept. 8 to Sept. 10. CMS is continuing with plans [...]

July 2, 2014 Today's Top Story 1. AANS and CNS joint panel updates guidelines for fusion procedures for degenerative disease of the lumbar spine. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons (AANS/CNS) Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves has released an updated set of guidelines for fusion procedures for degenerative disease of the lumbar spine. AAOS members Jason C. Eck, DO; William C. Watters III, MD; and Alok Sharan, MD, were on [...]

June 2, 2014 Today's Top Story 1. Study: Immobilization in abduction and external rotation may reduce recurrence risk after primary anterior shoulder dislocation. Data from a study published in the June issue of the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery suggest that immobilization with the shoulder joint in abduction and external rotation (stabilizer brace) may reduce the risk of recurrence after primary anterior shoulder dislocations, compared to the more commonly used method of immobilization in adduction and internal [...]

May 2, 2014 Today's Top Story 1. More than 300 orthopaedic surgeons meet with congressional representatives during NOLC.  On Thursday, May 1, hundreds of orthopaedic surgeons met with their congressional representatives as part of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) National Orthopaedic Leadership Conference (NOLC), the AAOS’ premier advocacy event. The NOLC is designed to raise awareness and explore issues affecting patient care and physicians’ practices. Orthopaedic surgeons had the opportunity to discuss with their members of [...]