Medical Liability Legislation Passes U.S. House of Representatives
For questions or concerns on these or other advocacy issues, contact the Office of Government Relations at dc@aaos.org.
 
House Approves Medical Liability Reform Legislation On June 28, 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1215, the Protecting Access to Care Act, by a vote of 218 to 210. The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) commends members of Congress for passing this important legislation, which contains comprehensive medical liability reforms that will help bring down health care costs and ensure access to care for all patients. “AAOS applauds the House of Representatives for passing vital medical liability reforms,” stated AAOS President William J. Maloney, MD. “H.R. 1215 will protect patients in need while addressing some of the challenges of the current medical liability system and maintaining the traditional role of the states. These reforms will not only ensure negligently injured patients are compensated promptly and equitably, they will – importantly –  improve our overall health care system even before the filing of a lawsuit, by lowering health care costs, improving patient safety, and preserving the patient-physician relationship. We thank members of Congress for their support of this legislation and we urge the Senate to consider H.R. 1215 as soon as possible.” Click here to read more.
AAOS Submits Regulatory Relief Letter to CMS On July 10, 2017, the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) submitted a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding possible areas of regulatory relief. The letter specifically addressed areas of improvement that are needed under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015, as well as issues related to the ban on balance billing, access to Medicare claims data for qualified clinical data registries (QCDRs), and translation and interpreting services required by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). “With the implementation of CMS’s Quality Payment Program (QPP) under MACRA, as well as numerous other regulatory changes, physicians are navigating a complex new reporting system,” the letter states. “Indeed, many are still working to understand the new requirements and prepare necessary infrastructure and education.” Click here to read more.
State Corner: State Legislative and Regulatory Issues (SLRI) Committee Develops Best Practices for State Orthopaedic Society Advocacy The SLRI committee met at the National Orthopaedic Leadership Conference (NOLC) to discuss past and future state legislative issues. SLRI did not allocate grants but developed a best-practices document for state orthopaedic societies. The grant process will continue at the Fall 2017 meeting.

Issues to watch:

a.     Scope of Practice Issues

1.     Podiatrist – Surgery above the ankle. Surgical grafts. Supervisory authority.

2.     Physical Therapists – Independent practice with prescriptive authority.

3.     Physician assistants – Independent practice.

4.     Surgical Techs – Limiting scope of practice of MDs and DOs.

5.     Athletic trainers – Concussion, return to play considerations and practicing medicine.

Click here to read more.

Quality Payment Program Updates The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) ended the Sustainable Growth Rate formula, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) then replaced it with the Quality Payment Program. Remember – the Quality Payment Program has two tracks you can choose: Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs) OR the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). AAOS has shared the details of QPP and MIPS, which can be found on our website, here: www.aaos.org/MACRA_QualityPaymentProgram/ and here: www.aaos.org/MACRA-DeliveryReform/. Click here to read more.
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What We’re Reading Republicans Debate Plan B if Obamacare Repeal Fails, The Hill, 7/10/17 Following Recess, GOP Health Care Push Gets Trickier, The Wall Street Journal, 7/9/17 Ted Cruz is Suddenly in the Hot Seat to Help Pass a Health Care Bill, The Washington Post, 7/9/17 The Hidden Subsidy That Helps Pay for Health Insurance, The New York Times, 7/7/17 Plurality of Voters Want Congress to Prioritize Medicare Reform, Morning Consult, 7/6/17 As Seniors Get Sicker, They’re More Likely to Drop Medicare Advantage Plans, Kaiser Health News, 7/6/17 McConnell Says Limited Bill Needed if GOP Health Bill Dies, Associated Press, 7/6/17 Ticks, Floods, and a Dash of Health Care, Roll Call, 7/6/17 If Republicans Reach a Health Care Deal, It Must Survive This Obscure Senate Rule, Vox, 7/5/17 What to Expect as Health-Law Debate Moves Forward, The Wall Street Journal, 7/4/17 Conservatives Urge Quick Health-Law Repeal If GOP Bill Stalls, The Wall Street Journal, 7/1/17 Most Voters Oppose Senate Health Care Bill’s Cuts to Medicaid, Morning Consult, 6/28/17
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ICYMI: 5 Ways for Healthcare Providers to Get Ready for New Medicare Cards Medicare is taking steps to remove Social Security numbers from Medicare cards. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), this initiative will prevent fraud, fight identity theft and protect essential program funding and the private healthcare and financial information of our Medicare beneficiaries. CMS will issue new Medicare cards with a new unique, randomly-assigned number called a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) to replace the existing Social Security-based Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN) both on the cards and in various CMS systems in use now. New cards will be mailed to people with Medicare benefits in April 2018. All Medicare cards will be replaced by April 2019. Click here to read more.
Thank You to Our Current Orthopaedic PAC Advisor’s Circle Members!
AAOS Orthopaedic PAC Online and Mobile Donations 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.

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