Senate Addresses Preparedness for Public Health Threats

Elizabeth Fassbender, Esq.; Jordan Vivian

On May 25, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee approved legislation to reauthorize the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act of 2006. The reauthorization legislation, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act (PAHPAI), was introduced by Sen. Richard M. Burr (R-N.C.) and cosponsored by Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), HELP Committee chairman; Bob Casey (D-Pa.); and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), HELP Committee ranking Democratic member.

Erika Gandee Shares Behind-the-Scenes Look at OrthoCarolina’s Participation in MIPS

Cindy Bracy; Peter Pollack

On Jan. 1, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the Medicare Quality Payment Program (QPP) with the goal of rewarding high-value, high-quality Medicare clinicians with payment increases, while reducing payments to clinicians who do not meet performance standards. The QPP consists of two tracks: the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs).

Second Look - Advocacy

According to a study in the journal Orthopedics (online), Medicare reimbursement for many orthopaedic procedures has decreased. The researchwea reviewed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Current Procedural Terminology code values for common orthopaedic and nonorthopaedic procedures between 2000 and 2016. After adjusting for inflation, they found that annual reimbursements decreased over the study period for all orthopaedic procedures examined except for removal of orthopaedic implant.