Meaningful Use, TKA, Site-Neutral Issues Addressed By CMS
For questions or concerns on these or other advocacy issues, contact the Office of Government Relations at dc@aaos.org.
 
Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Final Rule Released The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized payment rates and policy changes for 2017 under the Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System and the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS). The agency estimates that the updates will increase ASC rates by 1.9 percent and OPPS payments by 1.7 percent during 2017. Click here to read more.
You are invited to author an Ortho-pinion and get featured on ANationInMotion.org
Since its launch in 2012, the Academy’s A Nation In Motion® campaign continues to be a source of helpful bone and joint health content for patients. The site features inspiring patient stories, columns on various musculoskeletal conditions and orthopaedic surgeon profiles.

How you can participate As the orthopaedic experts, you are invited to submit a bone and joint health column, also known as an Ortho-pinion, on ANationInMotion.org. Your patients are always looking for information online, whether it be pre-surgical, post-surgical or preventative care. Help us to provide them with accurate information. Once your column is submitted, it will be reviewed by the AAOS editorial review panel. See the most recently published Ortho-pinions and submission guidelines below. Submit your column online or email it to media@aaos.org.

Click here to read more.
Updates on post-operative data collection via G-codes by CMS On Wednesday, November 2, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule that updates payment policies and payment rates for services furnished under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) on or after January 1, 2017. CMS finalized a number of new PFS policies that will improve Medicare payment for those services provided by primary care physicians for patients with multiple chronic conditions, mental and behavioral health issues, and cognitive impairment conditions. Click here to read more.
2016 AAOS Orthopaedic Quality Institute (OQI)

The 2016 AAOS Orthopaedic Quality Institute (OQI) co-chaired by Thomas Barber, MD, Council on Advocacy Chair and David Jevsevar, MD, MBA, Council on Research and Quality Chair, was held in Washington, D.C. on November 3-4, 2016. The meeting gathered orthopaedic thought leaders and AAOS staff, as well as representatives from healthcare insurance plans, registries, medical device companies, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to discuss how to measure quality and explore bundled payment models. The goal of OQI was to provide a venue for open dialogue on bundled payments, including but not limited to the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) Model. In addition, the meeting planned to provide perspective of private and public payors as well as providers on the development of bundled payments. Click here to read more.

Reminder: Deadline to Review CMS Data – November 30

Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted information online that allows physicians to view whether they will be subject to 2017 payment penalties associated with the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) and the Value Modifier. Practices that have concerns have until November 30, 2016 to file for an informal review of their data. PQRS penalties are being communicated to physicians by mail as well as in the PQRS feedback reports posted on the CMS website. Value Modifier penalties and bonuses can be found in Quality and Resource Use Reports (QRURs) posted on the website only. Click here to read more.

State Corner: Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Society Scores Win on Insurer Practice of Clawing Back Paid Claims HB 2241, legislation to end the odious healthcare insurer practice of clawing back paid claims, unanimously passed the Pennsylvania state legislature in October 2016.  Governor Tom Wolf is expected to sign the bill by mid-November 2016. The Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Society was a major player in limiting the ability of insurers to claw back payments. The activity, in part, was funded by the State Legislative and Regulatory Issues Committee. Click here to read more.