The State of Vermont and Fletcher Allen Hospital in Burlington, Vermont have entered into a pilot bundled payment contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont for state employees specifically for hip or knee replacements. VTDigger.org reports that the payment amount is still undecided, but when it goes into effect, a lump sum will be provided by the… Read More
Archives
USA Today Features Hip and Knee Replacements for Baby Boomers
This week USA Today featured an article about increasing numbers of Baby Boomers receiving hip and knee replacements. They followed Trenton, Michigan’s mayor Kyle Stack in her recovery period following hip replacement surgery. The article covers quicker recovery times and the active lifestyles that patients return to after surgery. AAHKS member, James P. Eberhardt, DO was also interviewed… Read More
AAHKS Funds Infection Research
In response to a request by the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF), the AAHKS Board approved a contribution of $160,000 to fund research into periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). PJI was identified as a research priority by OREF with input from many stakeholders, as they developed a broad-based agenda in hip and knee arthroplasty. It is a serious… Read More
Jonathan K. Salava, MD Returns to Marshall University
After completing his residency at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine in Huntington, West Virginia and his fellowship at OrthoCarolina Hip and Knee in Charlotte, North Carolina, Dr. Jonathan K. Salava has returned to the university as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery as well as the Chief of Hip Arthroplasty and… Read More
AAHKS Participates in RUC Process
Health Policy Committee Chair Mark I. Froimson, MD, MBA and Executive Director Mike Zarski, JD attended the September meeting of the AMA/Specialty Society RVS Update Committee in Chicago. The AAHKS delegation worked with AAHKS member and AAOS representative John Heiner, MD and Academy staff to monitor and respond to RUC proposals impacting arthroplasty procedures.
AAOS Holds Fall Meeting
Nashville, Tennessee is the site of the 2014 Fall Meeting of the AAOS taking place September 18-20. AAHKS leadership is in attendance and participating on many levels. Topics of importance include performance measure development, Affordable Care Act implementation, and aligning the activities of the AAOS with AAHKS and other specialty societies.
Hoag Orthopedic Institute Offers Surgical Warranty
The LA Times featured an article this week about the hip and knee surgery warranty that Hoag Orthopedic Institute in Irvine, CA offers its patients. The article describes how some work-based plans and private insurers offer flat-fee or bundled payment arrangements at certain hospitals. In California, Anthem Blue Cross has flat-rate fee arrangements in place with some large… Read More
Physician Shortage in Hawaii Addressed by AAHKS Member
Linda Rasmussen, MD was featured in a story about the physician shortage in the state of Hawaii. The Star Advertiser said that “reimbursement from government payers and health insurers is lower in Hawaii than in other states, despite having the same skills and performing the same procedures.” Young physicians having to balance the higher cost of living with… Read More
Physician Assistants Can Receive CME Credit at Orthopaedic Team Course
The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) reviewed and approved the Orthopaedic Team Course taking place on Friday, November 7 in conjunction with the Annual Meeting. This program has been reviewed and is approved for a maximum of 8.50 hours of AAPA Category 1 CME credit by the Physician Assistant Review Panel. Physician assistants should claim only those… Read More
Associate Editors Named for Arthroplasty Today
Editor-in-Chief, Brian J. McGrory, MD, has named three associate editors for the new, online medical journal, Arthroplasty Today. Stefano A. Bini, MD, Mark J. Spangehl, MD and Bryan D. Springer, MD will join Dr. McGrory in establishing Arthroplasty Today under the direction of AAHKS and published by Elsevier, Inc. The AAHKS Board of Directors approved the entire editorial… Read More
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