AAOS Advocacy Podcast

Now more than ever, physicians are experiencing instability and uncertainty in their payment reimbursement. This episode addresses the gap between physician reimbursements and the rising costs of running a medical practice continues to widen in addition to other important legislative issues.     Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02) has been a champion for finding a long-term solution to put physicians back on level playing field with the rising costs of medicine. As a lead sponsor of Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act (H.R. 2474) she’s helping to avoid a yearly race to get Congress to intervene and protect patients’ access to Medicare.    Guests: Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02)  Host: Adam Bruggeman, MD, FAAOS, FAOrthA, Chair, AAOS Advocacy Council 

As the shift towards value-based healthcare reform gains momentum, there will be major strategic and organizational changes to how care delivery is redesigned, measured, and reimbursed. This episode delves into the realm of value-based care, exploring fundamental concepts related to alternative payment models in clinical orthopaedics, and how Patient Reported Outcome Measures impact individual patient care, as well as their role in new population health measures with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.   Guests: Eric Makhni, MD, MBA, FAAOS with the Henry Ford Health  and Prakash Jayakumar, MD, PHD with the University of Texas at Austin, Dell Medical School  Host: Adam Bruggeman, MD, FAAOS, FAOrthA, Chair, AAOS Advocacy Council 

Episode Summary: The House of Delegates is the legislative and policy-making body within the American Medical Association (AMA). In this episode, orthopaedic surgeon and AMA Board of Trustees Member Dr. Michael Suk explains how the specialty is represented within the House of Medicine and how initiatives to advance the quality of musculoskeletal care are shared by both organizations.  More on the AMA Recovery Plan for America’s Physicians can be found here.   Guest: Michael Suk, MD, JD, MPH, MBA, FAAOS, Chair-elect, American Medical Association  Host: Adam Bruggeman, MD, FAAOS, FAOrthA, Chair, AAOS Advocacy Council  

Lengthy prior authorization processes delay care for patients and contribute to physician burnout. Using Texas as a case study, this episode explains how solutions like the federal version of the state’s GOLD Card law would streamline approvals for medically necessary care as well as make insurance requirements more electronic and transparent.  More on AAOS’ prior authorization advocacy efforts: aaos.org/advocacy/advocacy-action-center/prior-authorization Previous podcast episode on prior authorization: aaos.org/publications/the-bone-beat-orthopaedic-podcast-channel/the-bone-beat-advocacy-podcast/episode-19 2023 Orthopaedic Advocacy Week: aaos.org/advocacy/get-involved/orthopaedic-advocacy-week Guest: Christine Kean, COO, The San Antonio Orthopaedic Group Host: Adam Bruggeman, MD, FAAOS, FAOrthA, Chair, AAOS Advocacy Council

Innovation in orthopaedic care faces stiff headwinds, but the relationships among stakeholders are not zero-sum. Following the in-person AAOS/FDA Townhall during the 2023 AAOS Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, leaders from both organizations sat down for an intimate conversation on the ways we can evolve together to improve patient care. They emphasized the need for collaboration, innovation, and reliable data to improve patient outcomes and shape the future of the field. Listen as we delve into the topic of innovation in orthopaedic medical devices, products and technology. More from AAOS on devices. Biologics and technology: https://www.aaos.org/quality/biologics/ More on AAOS’ advocacy efforts: https://www.aaos.org/advocacy/federal-advocacy-issues/drugs-devices-and-fda/ Guests: David Jevsevar, MD, MBA, FAAOS, Chair of Research and Quality Council, AAOS; Captain Raquel Peat, PhD, MPH, Director, Office of Orthopedic Devices, FDA Host: Adam Bruggeman, MD, FAAOS, FAOrthA, Chair, AAOS Advocacy Council

The debate over the pros and cons of physician-owned hospitals has spanned over a decade. Now as momentum builds in Congress to repeal restrictions on their growth and expansion, this episode explains how they help meet a growing demand for services, particularly in rural and underserved areas, and are an important piece of increasing competition in the healthcare delivery system. Previous episode on physician-owned hospitals: https://www.aaos.org/publications/the-bone-beat-orthopaedic-podcast-channel/the-bone-beat-advocacy-podcast/episode-7/ Guest: Blake Curd, MD, FAAOS, Past President of Physician Hospitals of America Host: Adam Bruggeman, MD, FAAOS, FAOrthA, Chair, AAOS Advocacy Council

It has been two years since the No Surprises Act was passed into law, yet it continues to face numerous legal challenges and iterations of rulemaking with regards to implementation. This episode dives into the latest developments and discusses what is and is not working with a guest expert focused on independent dispute resolution for healthcare professionals. More on AAOS Advocacy on this issue: https://www.aaos.org/advocacy/advocacy-action-center/surprise-billing/ Learn more about HaloMD: https://halomd.com/ Guest: Alla LaRoque, President, HaloMD Host: Adam Bruggeman, MD, FAAOS, FAOrthA, Chair, AAOS Advocacy Council

In his last episode as podcast host and chair of the AAOS Advocacy Council, Dr. Douglas Lundy passes the torch to orthopaedic spine surgeon Dr. Adam Bruggeman. Recorded live at the 2023 Annual Meeting, Drs. Lundy and Bruggeman run through some of the most pressing issues threatening musculoskeletal care. Guest: Adam Bruggeman, MD, FAAOS, Incoming Chair, AAOS Advocacy Council  Host: Douglas Lundy, MD, MBA, FAAOS, Outgoing Chair, AAOS Advocacy Council