About AOPOC The AO patient outcome measurement initiative has been launched by AOPOC US Inc., and funded by the AO Foundation and AO North America. The project was initiated to create a software platform that a typical orthopedic surgeon could use to collect scientifically-validated patient reported outcome measures to help improve clinical care. The project…
CMS issued the final rule for its calendar year 2017 payment policy for hospital outpatient departments (HOPD) and ASCs, and CMS backed off some of its proposals to limit higher payments for off-campus, provider-based departments. To review, President Obama signed a budget bill on November 2, 2015 that ended higher payments for off-campus, provider-based departments…
CMS released the final rule for the calendar year 2017 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule on November 2, 2016, and CMS dedicated a large amount of the commentary to how it will collect data on global surgical packages. Thanks to the Texas orthopaedic surgeons who responded to the AAOS/TOA survey on August 12. As a result…
TOA members are encouraged to turn to TOA’s e-mail newsletters for more information regarding MACRA. TOA will also cover MACRA at TOA’s May 6, 2017 annual conference in Dallas. Click here to view TOA’s October 31, 2016 webinar on MACRA implementation. Click here to claim CME for participating in the webinar. Cheat sheet for TOA…
In May 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule for Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. Covered entities are required to post a discrimination and patient rights notice in the top 15 languages found in the state by October 16, 2016. In addition, covered entities are required…
Virginia-based Privia Health recently launched in Texas and features a nationwide network of over 1,600 physicians. The network’s goal is to keep physicians independent by building high-performance physician groups and clinically integrated provider networks. In 2014, a Goldman Sachs-led group invested $400 million in Privia. Last month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)…
Jacob Murphree, MD is in his third year of orthopaedic residency at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Dr. Murphree serves on the TOA Residency Council. TOA recently sat down with Dr. Murphree to learn more about his thoughts on the future of orthopaedics in Texas. TOA: What do you plan to do when you…
Andy Slavitt, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) acting administrator, announced CMS’s expectations for MACRA quality reporting in 2017 on September 8th. The announcement provided four models for physicians to take in 2017 in order to not be penalized by Medicare in 2019: Participate in an APM. Virtually no orthopaedic surgeon will be…
Major new research has found that bracing may deter the need for surgery when scoliosis is found at an early age. Unfortunately, Texas’ school screening standards are set by legislative statute, and the current ages may be too late for early detection to be made. Therefore, it is critical for the 2017 Texas Legislature to…
