What’s Ahead for Orthopaedic Payments?

Elizabeth Fassbender; Mary Ann Porucznik

How are orthopaedic surgeons going to be paid in the future? What programs will affect the individual orthopaedic surgeon’s income? Will payments become a “zero-sum game” in which some orthopaedic surgeons are winners and others are losers? These and other questions were addressed during the AAOS Board of Councilors (BOC)/Board of Specialty Societies (BOS) Fall Meeting symposium on “The Changing Landscape of Payment Strategies.”

When “7” Is Not a Lucky Number

Margaret M. Maley, BSN, MS

The 7th character extension represents a major distinction between the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition (ICD-9) and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition (ICD-10). A clear understanding of the 7th character is imperative due to its extensive use in orthopaedics.

Bar Raised for Stage 2 Meaningful Use

Howard Mevis

Orthopaedic surgeons may well consider Sept. 4, 2014, as a “date that will live in infamy.” On that date, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of the National Coordinator for HIT (ONC) published final regulations for meeting Stage 2 meaningful use criteria for electronic medical records (EMRs).

Five Financial Concepts to Understand

Tips from an AAOS Practice Management Primer Finance isn’t a required course for medical school or residency. But understanding financial concepts is important for orthopaedic surgeons to succeed in private practice. Even orthopaedic surgeons who practice in academic medical centers, hospitals, or groups large enough to hire financial managers need to understand some basic financial concepts so they can make informed decisions.

Meaningful Use: Preparing for an Audit

CMS provides tips for practices Any provider who receives an electronic health record (EHR) incentive payment under either the Medicare or Medicaid EHR Incentive Program may be subject to a meaningful use audit. Medicare eligible professionals and dual-eligible hospitals will be audited both before and after incentive payments have been made. The following tips from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) can help orthopaedic practices prepare for a meaningful use audit.

Easing the Transition From Residency into Practice

Gail S. Chorney, MD; Charles A. Goldfarb, MD

Eleven things you need to know Gail S. Chorney, MD, and Charles A. Goldfarb, MD Residency and fellowship training primarily focus on orthopaedic education. But to succeed, residents and fellows need to learn other aspects of running a practice (such as billing, coding, or compliance issues). The following 11 “need-to-know” items cover both general tips on running an effective practice and specific tips on coding and billing.

Managing Your Online Reputation

Mary Ann Porucznik

“Online reputation management is becoming more important in our lives as orthopaedic surgeons,” Basil R. Besh, MD, told attendees at the Board of Councilors Board of Specialty Societies Fall Meeting. “My online reputation is vital to the success and the future of my practice.” Dr. Besh, a hand surgeon in private practice in Fremont, Calif., explained that an online presence is potentially unsettling.

Surgeon Substance Abuse: A Real and Present Danger

Michael M. Albrecht, MPAff, MD

The issue of alcohol and substance abuse and dependence in the United States has a significant impact on orthopaedic surgeons. Many of us have spent late nights in the emergency department (ED) treating traumatic injuries resulting from accidents involving alcohol or drugs. What we are less likely to acknowledge, however, is that healthcare professionals may also abuse and be dependent on drugs and alcohol.