Congress Wraps Up Ahead of National Conventions
For questions or concerns on these or other advocacy issues, contact the Office of Government Relations at dc@aaos.org.
 
Change in Global Surgery Payment Policy On July 7, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that updates payment policies, payment rates, and quality provisions for services furnished under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) on or after January 1, 2017. The proposed rule addressed several aspects of physician payment policy, including a proposal regarding collecting data on services provided during the post-operative period. Click here to read more.
The Academy is looking for stories of athletes
Tell your patients about ANationInMotion.orgThe 2016 Summer Olympics is just a few weeks away. To celebrate this huge event, the Academy’s A Nation in Motion® campaign will be highlighting professional, recreational and student athletes who are back to playing sports because of their orthopaedic care.

Do you know athletes who have recovered from an orthopaedic injury and are back to doing what they love? Encourage these patients to submit their stories to ANationInMotion.org.

We will feature the stories on the homepage of the site. Click here to submit.

Please email all questions to media@aaos.org.

CMS continues to allow a 90-day reporting period for Electronic Health Records (EHR) in 2016 CMS is proposing a 90-day EHR reporting period in 2016 for all eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs), to assist healthcare providers and increase flexibility in the program. The EHR reporting period would be any continuous 90-day period between Jan. 1, 2016, and Dec. 31, 2016. The American Hospital Association and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives both praised CMS for shortening the meaningful use reporting period. CMS is also looking to eliminate the Clinician Decision Support and Computerized Provider Order Entry objectives and measures for eligible hospitals and CAHs, Healthcare IT News reports, and proposed lowering thresholds for some meaningful use stage 2 measures. EPs, eligible hospitals, and CAHs that have not successfully demonstrated meaningful use in a prior year would be required to attest to Modified Stage 2 (instead of Stage 3) by Oct. 1, 2017. Click here to read more.
Strengthening our Nation’s Trauma Care System A recent hearing in the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health entitled “Strengthening our National Trauma System” addressed a number of issues concerning our nation’s lack of trauma and emergency care systems. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) recently released a report entitled “A National Trauma Care System: Integrating Military and Civilian Trauma Systems to Achieve Zero Preventable Deaths after Injury”, which essentially calls for the integration of military teams and personnel into the civilian trauma world. The NASEM envisions a national trauma care system that allows for the continuous and seamless exchange of knowledge across military and civilian healthcare sectors ensuring optimal delivery of trauma care. Click here to read more.
The Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act Passes CommitteeOn July 13th, the Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee passed HR 921, The Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act. HR 921 will provide legal protection for athletic trainers and sports medicine professionals who travel to other states with an athletic team to provide medical services.

The bill aims to preserve sports athletes and athletic teams’ access to sports medicine professionals who provide professional health care services and will allow trainers and sports medicine providers to engage in the treatment of their injured athletes across state lines without fear of incurring a professional loss.

Click here to read more.

Senate Finance Committee Holds MACRA HearingOn the morning of July 13th, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing titled: Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015: Ensuring Successful Implementation of Physician Payment Reforms with CMS acting administrator Andy Slavitt as the sole witness. Chairman, Orrin Hatch (R-UT) delivered the committee’s opening statement concerning the proposal for implementing the physician payment reforms included in MACRA. He went on to say that, “The passage of MACRA was a tremendous bipartisan achievement that addressed long-standing and reoccurring problems under Medicare.”

Click here to read more.

What We’re Reading

Representative Steny Hoyer’s Georgetown Law LectureOn the afternoon of July 11, 2016, Steny Hoyer, Congressman of Maryland’s 5th Congressional district and graduate of Georgetown Law’s class of 1966, stood to speak on the American Dream and how to restore faith in the American government.

The congressman was joined onstage by Georgetown Law Dean William M. Treanor and Sonal Shah, executive director of the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation at Georgetown University. The hour-long event, which included a question-and-answer session at the end, was hosted by Georgetown Law, the Beeck Center and Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.

Click here to read more.

Election 2016 Graphic of the Week Click here to dowload graphic.
Stark Law Hearing Chairman Orrin Hatch led a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Stark Law Reform on July 11. Many have suggested a complete repeal of the law, but some see certain sections of the law as extremely valuable.Committee members expressed that America is moving away from fee-for-service medicine and instead moving towards a system that pays for quality of care over quantity. Value and efficiency numbers are rising in American hospitals. Healthcare has evolved since the Stark Law was enacted. Witnesses argued that it is important to promote coordination of care and uphold the principles of Stark Law. There need to be clear guidelines with referrals and doctor and patient care.

Click here to read more.

Pediatric Spinal DeformitiesOn Tuesday, July 12, 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hosted a Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) Public Health Forum that focused on pediatric spinal deformities. AAOS’s Dr. Robert Campbell participated as a speaker in this forum and spoke on patient deformity involving both the thorax and the spine with a Vertical Expandable Titanium Rib (VEPTR) solution.  CDRH has recently expanded the availability of devices intended for treatment of spinal diseases that affect children. As a result of these device clearances, new treatment paradigms which facilitate spinal growth and preserve spinal motion are now available for patients in the United States. Additional devices are now under development and have the potential to further expand treatment options in the near future.

Click here to read more.

Expanding Uses of Medicare DATA by QE The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule on Expanding Uses of Medicare Data by Qualified Entities on July 7, 2016. The Expanding Uses of Medicare Data by Qualified Entities Final Rule implemented requirements under Section 105 of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 that expand how qualified entities (QE) may use and disclose data under the qualified entity program to the extent consistent with applicable program requirements and other applicable laws, including information, privacy, security and disclosure laws. This rule also explained how qualified entities may create non-public analyses and provide or sell such analyses to authorized users, as well as how qualified entities may provide or sell combined data, or provide Medicare claims data alone at no cost, to certain authorized users. In addition, this rule implemented certain privacy and security requirements, and imposes assessments on qualified entities if the qualified entity or the authorized user violates the terms of a data use agreement required by the qualified entity program. Click here to read more.
The Orthopaedic PAC Capitol ClubThe Orthopaedic PAC Capitol Club was established in 2014 as a way for the AAOS PAC to recognize those individuals who have shown a strong commitment to advocacy. The Capitol Club has grown yearly since its inception but it has largely been unattainable for residents due to their monetary constraints. In an effort to help recognize those residents who have also shown a strong commitment to the PAC, the AAOS PAC Executive Committee has recently approved the Futures Capitol Club.  This club is exclusively for residents and will provide them with the same benefits bestowed upon members of the Capitol Club. Some of these benefits include:

  • Complimentary entry and drink tickets to the resident reception that will be held at the annual meeting in 2017;
  • A ribbon signifying Future Capitol Club participation at the annual meeting (and NOLC) in 2017;
  • A group picture with the PAC luncheon keynote speaker in 2017;
  • Invitation to Capitol Club events such as the reception at NOLC and similar events throughout the year;
  • Each individual’s name will be listed in the PAC annual report, on the PAC website and at the PAC booth at the annual meeting.

Click here to read more.

AAOS Orthopaedic PAC Online Contribution Center Stacie Monroe, Political Affairs Manager in the AAOS Office of Government Relations, has a strong background in fundraising and expertise within the medical community. Please drop Stacie an email with any PAC requests or questions at monroe@aaos.org or by phone (202) 548-4150. 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. Consider joining the Orthopaedic PAC with a monthly contribution of $25 or make a $1,000 contribution manageable through $250 quarterly contributions to qualify for the new “Capitol Club”. 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!