Key Changes Proposed in Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Rule

Dena McDonough, PA-C, MHCDS; Matthew Snider, JD; Shreyasi Deb, PhD, MBA

On July 12, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2019 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed rule, which includes updates to the Quality Payment Program (QPP) and other physician reimbursement guidelines under Medicare Part B. Comments were accepted through mid-September, and the final rule will be finalized in early November. The proposed conversion factor will increase to 36.0463, up from 35.

Advocacy Council's John J. McGraw, MD, Appointed to HHS Pain Task Force

Kristen Coultas

Earlier this year, AAOS Council on Advocacy member John J. McGraw, MD, was appointed to a 30-member Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As the only surgeon on the task force, Dr. McGraw joins a diverse group of federal representatives and nonfederal individuals—from agency employees to medical professionals to patients to members of the addiction treatment community.

Second Look—Advocacy

at same-day centers The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will decide whether to continue to pay for spine surgeries at same-day surgery centers after potentially fatal risks were reported, according to an article in Kaiser Health News. CMS will consider whether the surgeries “pose a significant safety risk” to patients and whether they still meet criteria for Medicare payment.