Share This Newsletter:
 
 
IN THIS ISSUE
 
House of Representatives Passes Major Opioid Legislation

Bonefied News

Medical Devices Exempted from Current Tariffs, as Requested by AAOS

Health IT Advisory Committee Announces Interoperability Forum

AAOS in the States: California Will Seriously Consider a Single Payer Model in 2019

Senate Fails to Pass Rescissions Package, Would Have Removed $7 Billion from CHIP

MIPS Deadlines Approaching

PAC Participation Leader Board by State

AAOS Orthopaedic PAC Online and Mobile Donations

 
 
 
Follow Our New Twitter
Account @AAOSAdvocacy

 
 
 
MORE RESOURCES
 
AAOS Website

AAOS Calendar

House of Representatives Legislative Activities

Senate Legislative Activities

 
JOIN US
 
 
Opioid Legislation; Tariffs Update; Budget Clawback Fails
 
For questions or concerns on these or other advocacy issues, contact us at dc@aaos.org.
House of Representatives Passes Major Opioid Legislation

 
   

The House of Representatives declared both the weeks of June 11th and June 18th as “Opioid Week” and took the opportunity to debate over 30 unique pieces of legislation to help address the current opioid crisis in the United States.  Topics covered by this legislation ranged from patient education, additional funds for substance use disorder treatment facilities, to more focus on pain management alternatives to opioids. A more controversial bill, the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act—which allows for the disclosure of substance use disorder patient records without a patient’s written consent to physicians or public health authorities, in accordance to HIPAA laws.

LEARN MORE

 

 
 
 
ENTRY INTO THE 2018 MORE AWARDS COMPETITION IS NOW OPEN!
 

 

After recently announcing the 23 winners of the 2018 Media Orthopaedic Reporting Excellence (MORE) Awards, the AAOS officially opened the 2019 competition.

Through the MORE Awards, health and medical journalists are recognized for their excellent and accurate reporting of bone and joint health topics, increasing public awareness of musculoskeletal health issues and treatments. This program allows AAOS to continue to build and strengthen  relationships with members of the media.

 

We encourage AAOS members to nominate bone and joint health stories they see throughout the year by emailing media@aaos.org. Entries must have been published between October 1, 2017 to October 1, 2018 to qualify for entry. The AAOS considers the media to be our partner in disseminating accurate musculoskeletal health information to the public and patients.

If you have other questions about this program, please contact Kelly King Johnson at king@aaos.org.

View the full list of winners.

 
 
 
 
Medical Devices Exempted from Current Tariffs, as Requested by AAOS

 
   

On June 15, 2018, The United States Trade Representative removed $3 billion in medical devices from the list of Chinese technology imports subject to a 25% tariff. This action followed a letter from AAOS raising concerns with the negative consequences for patients and provider access to critical new medical technology. Read the letter here.

Last August, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) initiated a Section 301 investigation against China. Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974 authorizes the President to take action against a foreign government that implements policies that violate international trade agreements or is deemed to be exercising unjustified, unreasonable or discriminatory restrictions on U.S. commerce.

LEARN MORE
 
 
Health IT Advisory Committee Announces Interoperability Forum

The Office of the National Coordinator’s (ONC) Health IT Advisory Committee (HITAC) held its monthly meeting by phone Wednesday, June 20. The ONC Director, Donald Rucker, gave initial introductory remarks and made several announcements, including: ONC will hold its annual Interoperability Forum August 6-8, HHS Secretary Alex Azar has approved the HITAC Policy Framework, and the Committee will begin work to establish a new task group to produce the annual HITAC Progress Report required under the 21st Century Cures Act.

LEARN MORE
 
 
AAOS in the States: California Will Seriously Consider a Single Payer Model in 2019

 
   

A single payer health care model has effectively become a front-and-center issue in California’s 2018 elections. It has been discussed in virtually every democratic forum with the candidates running for governor, emerged as a point of contention in some legislative races, and will be a rallying cry at the upcoming California Democratic Party convention.

A single-payer proposal in California came close to passing the state legislature in 2017. The legislation, which had a $400 billion-dollar price tag, had enough votes to pass the legislature but Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) ended the effort. Rendon “shelved” the measure, calling it “woefully incomplete.”

LEARN MORE
 
 
Senate Fails to Pass Rescissions Package, Would Have Removed $7 Billion from CHIP

The Senate last week failed to pass a $15 billion budget claw-back supported by President Trump before a procedural deadline. The package of budget rescissions contained $7 billion in spending that had been designated for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and was widely seen as an effort to appease conservatives unhappy with the increased federal spending contained in earlier bipartisan budget deals.

The rescissions package would not have directly affected the 10-year CHIP authorization signed into law earlier in 2018. Instead, the bill targets funds that were appropriated but not spent in prior years. The bill also includes contingency funds that were not likely be accessed. However, CHIP proponents raised concerns that these funds could be used to plug gaps in other healthcare programs in the future and should be reserved for that purpose.

LEARN MORE
 
 
MIPS Deadlines Approaching

 
   

Promoting Interoperability (PI) Reporting Deadline

June 29, 2018 is the last day to submit measures for consideration for the MIPS Promoting Interoperability (PI) performance category.

The PI category replaces the Medicare EHR Incentive Program (Meaningful Use). The measures within the category are based on the measures from Meaningful Use. Eligible clinicians must report on a set of four or five required measures, referred to as base measures. Failure to report any one of the base measures will result in a score of zero for the entire PI performance category.

LEARN 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 for 2017.

VIEW MAP
 
 
 
  AAOS Orthopaedic PAC Online and Mobile Donations

Did you know? Supporting our Orthopaedic PAC 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!