The Reality of Bundled Payment Systems

An AAOS Now Roundtable on member experiences The AAOS Health Care System Committee (HCSC) is charged with addressing emerging issues at the interface between physicians and healthcare facilities—such as bundled payments—and with providing timely and proactive analyses of changes in the healthcare system that affect the practice of orthopaedic surgery. Recently, HCSC member Peggy L. Naas, MD, MBA, led a roundtable discussion that did both.

The Future of Workers’ Compensation under PPACA

Vasanth Sathiyakumar, BA; Daniel J. Stinner, MD; William T. Obremskey, MD, MPH; A. Alex Jahangir, MD; Manish K. Sethi, MD

In 2009, more than 3 million job-related injury cases were reported in the United States, resulting in approximately $74 billion in healthcare expenditures. Although workers’ compensation costs annually account for approximately 1.5 percent of employers’ compensation expenditures, workers’ compensation insurance premiums were up 7.4 percent in 2011 compared to 2010.

The Specter of Sequester and Its Impact on Orthopaedic Care

Madeleine Lovette

This month, Congress will reconvene for what might be the most daunting “lame-duck” session in history as it tries to prevent a fiscal catastrophe that could drive the country into another recession. One of the most pressing concerns is preventing the implementation of the $1.2 trillion budget sequester, called for under the 2011 Budget Control Act.

AAOS Strengthens Relationships with Congress

Madeleine Lovette

On Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2012, the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ (AAOS) office of government relations (OGR) hosted a reception for members of Congress, their staff, and healthcare stakeholders. The reception, following the August recess, was aimed at strengthening relationships and providing an opportunity to discuss impending issues such as the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula, the budget sequester, and the orthopaedic surgeon’s role in healthcare reform.