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AAOS tackles health care reform at annual meeting
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SAN DIEGO — Leaders of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons discussed challenges that the health care reform law poses for the group’s advocacy efforts and detailed future areas of focus during a symposium held here.
“I think the new health care reform provides a lot of challenges for us on the advocacy front and a lot of opportunities for this academy, as we move forward, to take advantage of things that are in the health care bill that we can effect as a professional association,” Stuart L. Weinstein, MD, chairman of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ (AAOS) political action committee (PAC), said at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the AAOS.
Wants and reality
In discussing the history of the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act (PPACA), Weinstein used several examples to remind meeting attendees that the AAOS, “got a lot less than what was talked about at the beginning.”
 Stuart L. Weinstein |
Weinstein noted that the legislation achieves President Barack Obama’s goal of extending coverage via the individual mandated extension of Medicaid. “But, it is really questionable whether costs and quality have been addressed at all,” Weinstein said.
He also reviewed efforts underway in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate to address problems with the health care reform law and its possible repeal, and explained why efforts to revisit medical malpractice reform issues, which were set aside as the 2008 elections ensued, are good for academy members.
 Peter J. Mandell |
Peter J. Mandell, MD, chair of the AAOS Council on Advocacy, detailed how aspects of the act compared with measures that the AAOS wanted in the bill. He also explored weaknesses of the act, measures that could possibly impact orthopedists and omissions in the PPACA that can alter the practice of orthopedic medicine.
“In 2008, the association and the academy put together some ideas of what we wanted to see in our health care reform, and we put together a series of position statements,” Mandell said. Topics covered in those position statements included ambulatory surgical centers, specialty hospitals, medical liability and reforming physician payment, he said.
Looking forward
 John J. Callaghan |
John J. Callaghan, MD, a past president of the AAOS, discussed current and potential strategies of the organization to effect change in these areas, with the goal of ensuring that the voice of orthopedic surgeons is heard in the evolving legislative landscape. However, he noted, it remains to be seen whether the AAOS will support the PPACA and “get the regulations in the way we want” or side with those trying to repeal the bill.
“Our quality agenda is to make sure the appropriate measures for quality are recognized,” Callaghan said.
“Moving forward, we’ll continue to advocate for appropriate measures of quality, for an SGR [sustainable growth rate] fix, extending our scope of practice, ownership of hospitals and ancillary services, insurance and health practice reform. We are going to continue to work toward having the most effective PAC…and sort of strategically look at where we need to be going to position ourselves to be truly a leader PAC in medicine.”
These topics will be tackled at the upcoming National Orthopaedic Leadership Conference being held in the spring, Callaghan said.
References:
- Callaghan JJ, Weinstein SL, Mandell PJ, et al. Health care reform bill: past, present and future. Symposium S. Presented at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Feb. 15-19, 2011. San Diego.
- www.aaos.org/about/papers/position.asp
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