AAOS lobbies Congress over SGR, sequestration, in-office ancillary services

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons hosted a fly-in for its members today to urge Congress to consider a number of orthopedic issues, which include preventing physician payment cuts under the sustainable growth rate formula, among others.

“There are currently many concerning issues currently being discussed by Congress behind closed doors,” John R. Tongue, MD, president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), stated in a press release. “Patient choice and patient access to care could be significantly restricted if responsible decisions are not made during this fiscally uncertain time.”

Specifically, the AAOS planned to address the prevention of physician cuts under both the Budget Control Act of 2011 and the sustainable growth rate formula (SGR). Medicare reimbursement rates for physicians would be reduced by 29% in 2013 if the cuts are not prevented.

“Physician practices are already strained by market pressures and mandates commissioned by the Affordable Care Act,” Tongue said. “Cuts of this magnitude would force many of our members to reduce the number of Medicare patients they see or worse, shut down their practices altogether, which would compromise the care of those who need it the most.”

The AAOS planned to recommend the preservation of the in-office ancillary services exception to the Stark Law that permits physicians to utilize in-house advanced imaging and physical therapy services. While the law has been recently re-examined to see if this exception might incline physicians to order unnecessary tests, the AAOS believes the law allows for timely, coordinated and accessible screenings and therapeutic services, Tongue said.