AAOS/BOC Fall Meeting Update
Austin, Texas • October 17-19, 2013

By David W. Romness, MD

The AAOS fall meeting was held in Austin, TX. October 17-19, 2013.  Virginia was well represented by Doug Boardman and me.  We were very proud to have Wilford Gibson lead a fantastic meeting as Chairman of the BOC.

Doug Boardman attended the State Societies Committee and secured a grant to have a Northern Virginia meeting.

I attended the economic issues meeting. Topics included the Affordable Care Act, SGR proposals, budgetary issues against in-office ancillary services, and anti-trust issues. AAOS lobbying efforts are focused on these issues. 

I stress the importance of OrthoPac contributions by all members.

Multiple Symposia were Presented on the Following Timely Topics:

Symposium 1:
Quality Effects, Advocacy and Value-Based Orthopedics
House Bill 2810 calls for repeal of the SGR. If this passes, Medicare payment in 2019 will be linked to quality metrics. We, as orthopedic surgeons need to define and drive quality measures.

Symposium 2: 
ICD 10: Are You Ready Now? You Should Be, It's Less than a Year Away!
ICD 10 is coming and will go into effect on October 1, 2014.  It will cost all orthopedic surgeons time and money. Prepare as you can. AAOS can help with a webinar on November 20, 2013 and CodeX available from AAOS can be a valuable resource. Also, even if you are ready for ICD 10, don't expect insurers to be ready. There may be significant delays in payments.

Symposium 3:
The Workerman’s Compensation System: Under Attack
We have already learned this in Virginia. The Work Loss Data Institute, a for profit proprietary guideline producer, is pushing non-evidence based treatment and payment guidelines. This presentation was for discussion and information. The AAOS is considering involvement to support it's mission for patient advocacy and evidence-based care.

Symposium 4:
AAOS Global Presence and Opportunities for Future Expansion
This discussed the importance of international members and international attendance at AAOS meetings. The AAOS will promote increased attendance and is exploring international teaching  and outreach to underserved areas.

Symposium 5:
AAOS Professional Compliance Program: Lessons Learned
This was a review of the compliance program and the AAOS Standards of Professionalism. There have been 153 grievances submitted by AAOS Fellows and 58 have gone to hearings by the Committee on Professionalism.  Twenty-one were closed with no action and 35 resulted in official actions by the AAOS Board of Directors. There were 11 censures and 24 suspensions.

There have been seven lawsuits against the AAOS that have cost six million dollars over the eight year program. Four million dollars was covered by insurance and the Academy spent about two million dollars. That calculates out to less than $200 per academy fellow over the eight years. The BOC is strong supporter of the program.

______________

Click on the above image to view
Your username and password will be required.
______________