Becker's Spine Review

41 PRACTICE MANAGEMENT Orthopedic surgeons sound off: Where CMS proposed pay changes are going wrong By Alan Condon T he American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons has issued formal comments to CMS on the agency's proposed payment policy changes for 2022. e association focused its comments on two key changes pro- posed — reversing the elimination of the inpatient-only list and pulling back the 298 procedures, including 266 musculoskeletal procedures that were removed from the list on Jan. 1. In a letter to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the as- sociation urged the agency not to make "such wide swings in com- plicated policy decisions within short time periods," instead mak- ing them in a gradual, transparent manner to allow stakeholders adequate time to prepare. "When musculoskeletal procedures were identified as the first group to be eliminated from the IPO List, CMS would have bene- fited from a consultative effort with orthopedic surgeons to deter- mine the suitability of specific procedures, the impact on Medicare beneficiaries and on the delivery of healthcare services," said asso- ciation President Daniel Guy, MD. "With further review, CMS has taken a step back, as unintended consequences have become appar- ent. e AAOS is ready to be an important resource to assist CMS in making the best decisions for patients and their care." e association stated that some musculoskeletal procedures can safely be done in the outpatient setting and reiterated that criteria for surgery should be based on peer-reviewed evidence, patient fac- tors such as age, comorbidities and social support, and decided by physicians through the lens of patient safety. With regard to proposed cuts to Medicare's physician fee sched- ule, Dr. Guy urged CMS to "maintain the current funding levels" which is "critical to preserving access to patient care during the COVID-19 public health emergency." CMS proposed to decrease the conversion factor by 3.75 percent and did not incorporate the office/outpatient evaluation and man- agement code updates into the global surgical codes. e association also urged CMS to permanently maintain the flex- ibilities for telehealth services offered during the COVID-19 pan- demic, which have helped limit exposure for susceptible patients with in-person visits. e association also asked that the Appropriate Use Criteria pro- gram for advanced diagnostic imaging be delayed indefinitely, based on concerns that it would detract from the development of the Quality Payment Program. n Colorado orthopedic practice plans medical campus By Carly Behm F ort Collins, Colo.-based Orthopaedic & Spine Center of the Rockies plans to build a medical campus in Greeley, Colo., the Greeley Tribune reported Oct. 1. The new campus will be on 12 acres of land, which was pur- chased for $3.4 million. It will include a medical clinic, imag- ing, outpatient surgery and physical and occupational ther- apy. This will be the practice's second location in Greeley. Plans haven't been filed with the city. The campus is ex- pected to open in late 2023. n 3 NYC hospitals among top 10 in world for neurosurgery By Carly Behm N ewYork-Presbyterian Hospital was named the best hospital for neurosurgery in the world on News- week's World's Best Specialized Hospitals 2022 list. Newsweek partnered with Statista to compile the list, rank- ing hospitals in 10 specialties: cardiology, cardiac surgery, oncology, endocrinology, neurology, neurosurgery, ortho- pedics, gastroenterology, pulmonology and pediatrics. More than 40,000 medical experts from more than 20 countries were surveyed from June to August. The neurosurgery list features 125 hospitals. Here are the top 10: 1. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (New York City) 2. Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.) 3. National Hospital For Neurology and Neurosurgery-Queen Square (London) 4. Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston) 5. Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Germany) 6. Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore) 7. Cleveland Clinic 8. Mount Sinai Hospital (New York City) 9. AP-HP-Hôpital Universitaire Pitié Salpêtrière (Paris, France) 10. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York City) n

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