Physician-Owned Distributorships: A Problem or a Solution?

Mary Ann Porucznik

Physician-owned distributorships (PODs) may be an innovative alternative to manage costs of orthopaedic implants for hospitals, patients, and payers, but they are also fraught with multiple legal and ethical challenges. During a panel discussion at the 2011 AAOS Board of Councilors (BOC)/Board of Specialty Societies (BOS)Fall Meeting, representatives from government and the orthopaedic device industry joined orthopaedic surgeons in reviewing the pros and cons of this distribution model.

FOS Expands Grassroots Advocacy Program

Eric Stiefel, MD; Brian Palumbo, MD

In April 2011, we reported on a resident-focused healthcare policy education program sponsored by the Florida Orthopaedic Society (FOS). (See “Resident education: Healthcare policy,” AAOS Now, April 2011.

What You Should Know About Medicare Audits

Ashlen Anderson; Richard Martin, JD

Orthopaedic surgeons who participate in Medicare may be subject to a claims audit. Sometimes, this results in an overpayment request, which requires that payment for a specific claim be refunded to Medicare. To ensure that members of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) have the information necessary to comply with Medicare policies and avoid overpayment requests or claims denials, this article provides background information on current audit programs.

Distracted Driving: The Emerging Policy on Cell Phone Use

Neil M. Issar, BSc, William T. Obremskey, MD, MPH, A. Alex Jahangir, MD; Manish K. Sethi, MD

In response to a series of fatal accidents in which driver distraction was determined to be a cause, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently recommended a nationwide ban on the use of portable electronic devices while driving. The unanimous recommendation is much stricter than any current state law and would apply to all cell phones, including hands-free devices.

Second Look-Advocacy

CMS releases proposed “Sunshine Rule” The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a proposed rule designed to reveal potential conflicts of interest between manufacturers and providers. The Physician Payment Sunshine Act is called for under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and will require drug, biologics, and medical device manufacturers, as well as group purchasing organizations, to report payments to physicians and teaching hospitals.

Orthopaedic Research Gets Boost in Defense Bill

Jamie A. Gregorian, Esq. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of Fiscal Year 2012, signed into law on Dec. 23, 2011, included $30 million in funding for the Department of Defense (DOD) Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic Research Program (PRORP). PRORP had previously been funded at a $24 million level, so this represented a 25 percent increase in new money. Established in 2009, PRORP is an outgrowth of the Orthopaedic Extremity Trauma Research Program (OETRP).

Introducing Marilyn Tavenner, the New Acting CMS Administrator

Madeleine Lovette

In early December 2011, Donald M. Berwick, MD, MPP, who had headed the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) since July 2010 stepped down from his post in anticipation of being denied an extension of his term by the U.S. Senate. To replace him, the White House nominated Marilyn Tavenner, then principal deputy administrator for the Medicare program.