Along with The Hip Society and The Knee Society, AAHKS submitted comments on a report on the “Development of Measures of Payment for Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) and/or Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA)” prepared by the Yale New Haven Health Services Corporation and the Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE) for CMS.
After review of the CORE-drafted Measure Methodology Report and the Draft Summary of the Technical Expert Panel, AAHKS made specific technical comments and recommendations, concluding that the measure as currently constituted does not provide a full and accurate measure of costs and value associated with TKA and THA and it should not be implemented without refinement.
AAHKS expressed concern about the potential unintended consequences on access to care for the most vulnerable of our society if the episode of care payment measure does not adequately account for the complete patient profile, including comorbidities, socioeconomic status, and outcomes. We recommended that CMS and CORE engage in a partnership with AAHKS for the development/refinement of payment and clinical measures for medical conditions related to the hip and knee. Read full letter.
