AAOS Now, August 2015
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Supreme Court Upholds ACA Subsidies
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has once again ruled in favor of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), thus preserving the health care reform act and shifting attention to legislative revisions. In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court upheld the ACA’s insurance subsidies, ruling that the context and structure of the ACA “compel the conclusion” that subsidies are available for eligible Americans in both federally run and state insurance exchanges.
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Second Look—Advocacy
FDA Class I recall The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced a Class I recall of Zimmer M/L Taper with Kinectiv Technology Prostheses manufactured and distributed between March 31, 2015, and April 20, 2015. The agency states that a process monitoring failure led to higher-than-expected amounts of manufacturing residues left on the femoral stems and necks.
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Liability Protection Legislation Introduced
The “Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act” (HR 2603/S 1475), introduced by Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) and Sen. John Barrasso, MD, (R-Wyo.), would provide a legal safe harbor for physicians who can demonstrate they followed recommended best practices developed by the physician community.
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First Resident PAC Fellow Named
Chad A. Krueger, MD, has been selected as the first recipient of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Political Action Committee (PAC) Resident PAC Fellowship. The program, established in 2014, is designed to encourage participation of orthopaedic residents in the political efforts of the Orthopaedic PAC. Dr. Krueger began his practice at Womack Army Medical Center in Southern Pines, N.C., in July.
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CMS Relaxes ICD-10 Implementation Requirements
With less than 2 months to go before orthopaedic surgeons and other healthcare providers will be required to use the International Classification of Diseases–10th Edition (ICD-10) coding set, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) yielded to provider demands and announced several changes aimed at easing the transition.
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Are Bundled Payments Here to Stay?
On July 9, 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule to establish a new Medicare payment model for primary total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA, TKA) procedures performed in hospital inpatient settings. Under the proposal, hospitals would be accountable for all costs associated with the entire episode of care—from the time of surgery through 90 days after discharge.