AAOS Now, May 2010
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Redefining health care in America
An AAOS Washington Health Policy Series on the healthcare reform legislation On March 23, 2010, President Barack Obama signed the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.” Passage was not guaranteed in the House and the bill was approved only after some late negotiations by a vote of 219 to 212; 34 Democrats voted against the measure and no Republicans voted for it.
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States poised to challenge healthcare reform
Battle shifts from Congress to the courts Mandating health insurance coverage for all, penalizing individuals without coverage, and expanding the Medicaid program are just some of the provisions in the federal healthcare overhaul legislation recently signed by President Obama that faced stiff opposition in Congress and among many segments of the American public.
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Washington state court upholds POPTS
AAOS filed amicus brief supporting appeal In a unanimous opinion, the Supreme Court of the State of Washington ruled March 18, 2010, that physician-owned physical therapy services (POPTS) do not violate Washington state law. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons was an amicus curiae (or “friend of the court”) in Columbia Physical Therapy, Inc. v. Benton Franklin Orthopedic Associates, P.L.L.C., et al.
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A timeline for reform
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, with its companion reconciliation bill, includes many provisions that do not become effective for several years. Other provisions, however, will take effect very quickly and have a significant impact on health insurance coverage for those Americans who are currently uninsured. The AAOS office of government relations has put together the following timeline indicating when various provisions become effective.
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Yet another short-term fix
On April 15, 2010, Congress approved and President Obama signed the “Continuing Extension Act of 2010.” This law delays a scheduled 21.2 percent reduction in Medicare physician reimbursements until June 1, 2010. The Senate vote was 59 to 38; the House passed the measure by a vote of 289 to 112, and the president quickly signed the bill into law. The law is retroactive to April 1, 2010, when the cuts were due to go into effect.