Advocacy

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Guided by the Health Policy Council and Advocacy Committee, AAHKS provides physicians and their patients comprehensive and timely analysis of health policy issues pertaining to hip and knee surgery. Each year, there are changes in regulations affecting patient care reimbursement for hip and knee surgery. AAHKS develops strategies to keep up with changes and to influence the law-making process. Advocacy is necessary to maintain adequate compensation and reimbursement for services performed by hip and knee surgeons, as well as to ensure the quality of patient care.

ArthroPAC is the political action committee of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS). It supports federal candidates of both parties who stand up for our patients and the surgeons who care for them. Learn more about ArthroPAC (member log in required) and contribute now (open to AAHKS members and their spouses).

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Advocacy 101 Resources

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CMS Payment Center

CMS released their CY2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule. After 2026’s across-the-board cuts to Medicare rates for specialty procedures, CMS is now proposing an even deeper round of cuts for several dozen surgical procedures, including joint arthroplasty. Visit the page for more information. 

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CMS TEAM VBC Model Resources

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Action Letters

AAHKS sends letters and signs on to letters with other organizations, which are sent to legislators and key health care positions within the administration. Read the letters.

2020-2026 Medicare Payment Memo and Chart

AAHKS and our advocacy partner Epstein Becker Green have prepared a summary of the changes in Medicare payment for hip and knee surgeries from 2020-2026. The chart covers hospital inpatient, hospital outpatient and ASC settings, as well as the physician fee schedule. Review the chart.

Health Policy Fellowship

The goal of this program is to provide Fellows with the requisite exposure, training, and skills to prepare for the advocacy of health policy efforts of AAHKS. Full Details.

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AAHKS Position Statements

AAHKS has issued statements on positions held regarding removal of total knee arthroplasty from the CMS IPO list and the CDC’s guideline on the use of antibiotics for SSI. Read statements.

 

Advocacy Supporting Studies and Opinion Pieces

What Happens When Your Doctor And Insurance Plan Disagree? (Forbes.com, November 14, 2021 by Prem Ramkumar, MD, MBA)

If Patients Knew: Surgeon Stewardship Versus Balance Sheet Bureaucracy In Orthopaedic Surgery (Forbes.com, October 21, 2021 by Prem Ramkumar, MD, MBA)

Devalue The Doctor: The Response Of A Manipulated System To Orthopaedic Surgeons (Forbes.com, September 4, 2021 by Prem Ramkumar, MD, MBA)

 

 

Advocacy is Time Well Spent

A 2020 Orthopedics Today issue features the cover story, “Advocacy gives physicians a voice, benefits patients” including interviews with leaders in orthopaedics who are making a difference in Washington, D.C. AAHKS Advocacy Committee Chair, James I. “Hutch” Huddleston, MD and 2020 AAHKS Presidential Award recipient, advises orthopaedic surgeons to get involved in their subspecialty advocacy groups. A strong presence on Capitol Hill that AAHKS has established amplifies the impact that volunteers can have on health policy. Full story.

 

The OrthoPAC

AAHKS is a member of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons Orthopaedic PAC (OrthoPAC) Advisor’s Circle, which allows us to work together to maximize our opportunities to make an impact in Washington, DC for the benefit of our members.

AAHKS members accept Ortho PAC Advisor’s Circle Hall of Fame Award at the 2023 NOLC