AAHKS Survey Confirms Hospital Confusion over Medicare IPO Rules

A survey conducted by AAHKS shows that nearly 60% of surgeon members report their hospitals are interpreting new Medicare rules differently than the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) intended and possibly to the detriment of some patients. Studies have shown that careful patient selection is required for successful outpatient knee replacement surgery. Instead, many hospitals, as documented by the AAHKS survey, are treating all Medicare beneficiaries as outpatients unless the surgeon seeks a special exception. “As surgeons we always seek to improve efficiency and quality, but the safety of our patients is foremost. We hope this inconsistency can be remedied soon to avoid patient harm,” said AAHKS President Craig J. Della Valle, MD. Read the press release.