Orthopaedic Surgeons Should Prepare for New Laws

The AAOS estimates that approximately 150 new state laws have been passed during the past year that affect the practice of medicine and the patient-physician relationship. This article focuses on a few of the topics the new regulations address. The hottest issues for specialty medicine have been, and will continue to be, network adequacy and balance billing.

Difficult Peer Conversations: Getting the Outcome You Want

Kay Kirkpatrick, MD

Are you in a leadership position in your practice, ambulatory surgery center, or hospital? Have you had any formal training in dealing with conflicts among your peers? As surgeons, we occasionally have to communicate about unpleasant subjects with our patients. As individuals, we may face the same problem at home or in our other roles. But as leaders, we frequently need to address problems with our fellow physicians.

Liability Management 101

Michael R. Marks, MD, MBA

Today's orthopaedic practices are at a crossroads. Many face possible mergers or acquisitions and potential relationships with hospital systems and third-party payers. As the healthcare landscape shifts, so too does a practice's professional liability exposures. Recently, I spoke with David Burke, director of Smith Brothers Insurance Healthcare Division, to find out what orthopaedic surgeons can do to protect themselves and their practices. Dr.

Using IT in Your Practice: Now and Into the Future

Leslie H. Kim, MD

Information technology (IT) has disrupted numerous sectors of our economy and society. Examples abound—from Wikipedia, iTunes, and Amazon to Expedia, Uber, and Airbnb. Even personal interactions and sharing of experiences are being transformed, as exemplified by the Millennial Generation's use of social messaging apps (Snapchat, WhatsApp, Instagram). In the future, will this innovative disruption include medical practices?

CMS and Performance Measure Implementation: Understanding the Impact of the "2-Year Look Back" and "Capping Out"

Kent Jason Lowry, MD; Adolph J. Yates, MD

As health care changes, performance measures are playing an increasing role in the care provided, how that care is perceived, and how orthopaedic surgeons get reimbursed. The 2015 Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) did away with the Sustainable Growth Rate formula and the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), but replaced the latter with the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS).