The Regulatory Side of Lawmaking Can Be Confusing

Shreyasi Deb, PhD, MBA

AAOS advocates before federal and state legislative, regulatory, and executive agencies to improve musculoskeletal care for patients. Although many people are familiar with the Congressional legislative process, fewer understand the development of regulations. Regulations are standards and rules adopted by administrative agencies that govern how laws will be enforced. AAOS focuses primarily on influencing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regulations at the federal level.

AAOS Lobbies for Student Loan Repayment Reform

Julia Williams

The AAOS Office of Government Relations (OGR) recently joined 15 other medical specialties in expressing support for legislation to provide student loan relief for interns and residents. The bill (H.R. 5734), introduced by Rep. Brian Babin, DDS (R-Texas), would allow interest-free deferment on student loans for borrowers serving in a medical or dental internship or residency program. At the time of graduation, many orthopaedic interns and residents have accrued considerable debt.

PAC Corner

The Orthopaedic Political Action Committee (PAC) supports candidates for federal office who understand orthopaedic issues and help advance the legislative agenda of AAOS. All eyes are on the 2018 midterm elections—the entire House of Representatives and a third of the Senate are up for election, with the majority of both chambers on the line. This November, it is critical to elect leaders who support the orthopaedic specialty and its patients.

North Dakota Community Challenges Selling of Nonautologous Stem Cell Injections

Duncan Ackerman, MD

Regenerative medicine and the utilization of stem cells to treat countless diseases have expanded rapidly over the past several years. Although the science and purpose seem promising, proving the efficacy and determining what types of cells to utilize for particular diseases remain challenging. Although many physicians perform autologous cell transfers for patients, most would agree that this practice is less controversial than nonautologous (e.g., umbilical cord blood) transfers.

2018 Resident Advocacy Fellows Share Their Experiences

Chris Anthony, MD: Ryan Eggers, MD, MA

As the AAOS Office of Government Relations’ (OGR) inaugural Resident Advocacy Fellowship winds down, 2018 fellows Chris Anthony, MD, and Ryan Eggers, MD, MA, share their experiences. The one-year program, which is directed by Stuart L. Weinstein, MD, is designed to enable AAOS to work more directly with resident members, and to give residents the opportunity to learn more about the Academy’s legislative and regulatory advocacy work in Washington, D.C.

‘Medicare for All’ Plan Is Key Issue for Democrats Seeking Presidential Bids in 2020

Julia Williams

Health care, including the concept of “Medicare for All,” will be a prominent issue for Democrats eyeing presidential bids in 2020. Potential candidates include Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). One complication is that the term “Medicare for All” doesn’t have a single definition. To Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), it means the elimination of private insurance and the establishment of a single national program.

Second Look – Advocacy

A total of 170 medical groups, including AAOS, wrote a letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma in support of the agency’s Patients Over Paperwork initiative. The letter notes that excessive evaluation and management (E/M) documentation requirements take time away from patient care and make locating medical information in patients’ records more difficult.

Advocacy in Action

How the AAOS Office of Government Relations (OGR) is working for you … Made the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) aware of our concern regarding major changes to evaluation and management (E/M) documentation and payment structure in its 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. If approved, the rule would collapse Level 2-5 E/M visits into one payment—reducing provider reimbursement for more complex patients.

AAOS Is Primed to Influence Change in Healthcare Reform

Jennifer M. Weiss, MD

‘How medical societies can save American medicine’ Nowadays, physicians and surgeons may not always find their voice. The days of surgeons having autonomy in private practice or leading the way in academic organizations are over. It is especially difficult to maintain the bond between surgeon and patient in a world that has shifted to calling us providers and referring to patients as clients or customers. Unfortunately, great things have been lost in this transition.