Who’s who on the “Super Committee”

Madeleine Lovette

Where do those charged with deficit reduction stand on the issues? Within the next month, members of the “Super Committee” established by the Budget Control Act of 2011 must draft a deficit reduction proposal that will reduce the nation’s deficit by $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years. The committee, formally known as the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, includes six Democrats and six Republicans from both houses of Congress. It is co-chaired by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.

CMS seeks providers to test bundled-payment options

Madeleine Lovette

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is inviting healthcare providers to apply to help test and develop four different models of bundling payments. The initiative, announced on August 23, 2011, is a preliminary component of a much larger requirement of CMS to establish a national, voluntary pilot program on bundling by 2013, as mandated by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The results of this initiative are expected to assist CMS in establishing the national program in 2013.

Resident involvement with the “other” AAOS

Roshan Shah, MD, JD; John Froelich, MD

By Roshan Shah, MD, JD, and John Froelich, MD Exercise your membership in the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons As residents, we’re very aware of what the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (Academy) offers us—the best in orthopaedic education, from the Orthopaedic In-Training Exam to the Annual Meeting.

One small step for tort reform in Florida

Alan S. Routman, MD

It’s no secret that orthopaedic surgeons are passionate. But while some focus solely on their patients and their families, others take a broader view and commit significant time and resources to improve the future of medicine and, in particular, the orthopaedic profession for future generations. Such a commitment is necessary to achieve real and measureable change.

The HEALTH Act of 2011 and Texas

Nikhil Mathews; A. Alex Jahangir, MD; Mallory Powell; William T. Obremskey, MD; Manish K. Sethi, MD

What states can teach the federal government about malpractice reform The enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act made 2010 a landmark year in the history of the U.S. healthcare system. But after midterm elections later that year left Republicans in charge of the House of Representatives, the 112th U.S. Congress is set to consider a different type of healthcare reform.

Medicare Fraud and Abuse 103

Madeleine Lovette

Relationships between physicians and medical device manufacturers are essential to the development of new technologies and innovative treatments. When engaging in relationships with manufacturers, however, physicians must be careful to avoid any arrangements that could be interpreted as violating antikickback or self-referral statutes.

Understanding the new Health Insurance Exchange regulations

Simit Pandya

More flexibility for states and payers; increased access for patients In July 2011, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published two proposed rules related to the development and implementation of state health insurance exchanges (HIX regulations).These exchanges, created under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, are intended to be virtual marketplaces for buying and selling insurance in each state.

California rules on PT employment

California has recently been the focus of a political battle over the employment of physical therapists (PTs) by medical corporations. For more than 20 years, PTs have been able to work for both medical and general corporations. However, the California Physical Therapy Board reversed its position and ruled that PTs cannot be employed by medical corporations because the California professional corporations law does not list them among those who can be professional employees of such corporations.