Accepting TRICARE Shows Support for Military

Elizabeth Fassbender

TRICARE, the healthcare program of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Military Health System, provides civilian healthcare benefits for military personnel, military retirees, and their dependents. Although some forms of TRICARE ensure beneficiaries receive care from providers at military treatment facilities, several forms of TRICARE allow beneficiaries to seek care from civilian providers. However, a recent report published by the U.S.

SGR Repeal Under Way; More Changes Coming

Thomas C. Barber, MD; Matthew Twetten, MA; Elizabeth Fassbender; Catherine Boudreaux, MPP

On July 31, 2013, the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee voted 51 to 0 to approve HR 2810, “The Medicare Patient Access and Quality Improvement Act of 2013.” If approved or incorporated into other federal legislation, this bill would accomplish what has long been thought impossible in health policy circles—the full repeal of the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula for determining Medicare payments to physicians and other healthcare providers.

Second Look - Advocacy

FDA announces Beacon Hill Medical Pharmacy/Rxtra Solutions recall The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified health professionals and consumers of the recall of all lots of certain sterile injectable products compounded by Beacon Hill Medical Pharmacy/Rxtra Solutions. The list of recalled products includes methylprednisolone acetate, buprenorphine, and others. The FDA has raised a question of sterility assurance for the affected products, which were distributed nationwide.

PAC Helps Strengthen AAOS Stance on IOAS

Kristin Leighty

It sometimes appears that every bit of good news in Washington, D.C., is accompanied by an equivalent amount of bad news. That’s certainly the case with regard to the prospects for repeal of the Medicare sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula and the potential impact of that repeal on the in-office ancillary services (IOAS) exception.

AAOS Kicks Off Advocacy Ad Campaign

Elizabeth Fassbender

On Sept. 9, 2013, the day Congress returned from their summer recess, the AAOS placed the first of several informational ads in Politico, Roll Call, and The Hill—publications that are regularly read by policy makers, legislators, and their staffs. The ads are designed to draw attention to a series of studies quantifying the value of an orthopaedic procedure using real healthcare dollars. The ad features a sketch of the human body showing the musculoskeletal system (Fig. 1).