THE OFFICIAL NEWS PUBLICATION OF THE VIRGINIA ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
Winter 2020 Issue
Meeting with Congressman H. Morgan Griffith-R, 9th District, Virginia
By Ryan Harris, DO
Assistant Professor
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
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Congressman Morgan Griffith and Ryan Harris, DO |
Many of the movies I saw in my younger years helped to shape a perspective of the word “advocacy”. Movies like Bulworth and Thank You For Smoking may not be the best examples, but it did set a good baseline for what to expect when given the opportunity to meet with politicians, or so I thought.
So on August 20 of this year, when I was offered the chance to sit down with House Representative H. Morgan Griffith-R, Congressman for the 9th district in Southwest Virginia, I had no idea what cigars or scotch would be on the menu. Little did I know that meetings like this were taking place many other places as well, as part of the Advocacy Push, spirited by the AAOS, either virtually or in-person. Orthopaedic brothers and sisters all over the nation were meeting with representatives to discuss things such as 1) prior authorization reform in Medicare patients 2) medical liability protection during Covid-19 support 3) CMS payment cuts as it pertains to office coding and THA and TKA reimbursement and finally 4) Physician owned hospital expansion during Covid-19 response
Once the meeting date and time were set, I went to work educating myself on the main concerns that needed to be communicated to Representative Griffith. I would like to thank the AAOS and Virginia Orthopaedic Society, and especially Wilford K. Gibson, MD, FAAOS, for the valuable discussions and research that was provided to get me up to speed.
When the day came, we met in a conference room with masks and appropriate distancing in Rep. Griffith’s office in downtown Christiansburg, Virginia. We discussed how he was feeling since the disclosure of his C-19 diagnosis in July, (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/07/14/covid-19-congressman-morgan-griffith-says-he-tested-positive/5435274002/), along with other related healthcare topics. Those provided a good segue into the orthopedic nature of my visit. We discussed the effects of cuts to office visit E/M codes in addition to the cuts to CPT codes for THA and TKAs, in relation to Budget Neutrality. I explained prior authorizations were affecting Medicare Advantage patients and how that issue could be improved with bills already proposed (HR3107). And among other topics, we talked about coronavirus provider protection. This was important to me on several levels, not only for my fellow hospital and department members who continued to work while virus mitigation efforts were ramping up in Virginia, but also for surgeons in other harder hit areas. Areas where they may have been tasked to the ICU, perhaps to the ED, or even as part of mobile proning or testing teams. This was also important to me for my military colleagues, as a number of us were activated for Covid-19 support in April and May this year in support of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as members of the Air National Guard. At the end of our visit, we concluded with a picture and farewell and an invitation back anytime.
After exchanging some emails and follow-ups with his Senior Policy advisor and staff, I was ecstatic to hear that he signed on as a co-sponsor to HR 3107 which, among other things, helps streamline prior authorizations for Medicare patients! I was also told that Representative Griffith was just as concerned about the Budget Neutrality effects on Medicare cuts and he signed a letter sent to House Leadership requesting action on this issue as well.
I honestly did not know what to expect from these meetings, but having experienced the game, even a little, is kind of like gambling with early success. I am hungry and eager for another round at the table!
AAOS questions
I had no significant experience in advocacy before the In-District event that took place in August this year. The AAOS and VOS were very supportive and helpful in preparing me for discussions with House Representative H. Morgan Griffith-R, Congressman for the 9th district of Virginia. To find out after the meeting that he not only signed on to Co-Sponsor one of the bills that we discussed (HR 3107 - Improving Seniors Timely Access to Care Act) but that he also sent a letter to House Leadership requesting legislative action to address Budget Neutrality, was really great to hear! This really did make me feel as though I had a hand in a process that seems very overwhelming at times. This was nothing like those scenes in Thank you for Smoking that I was expecting!!! I can definitely see myself engaging in future meetings for the benefit of not only my patients, but also my fellow providers.
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