Becker's ASC Review

67 ORTHOPEDICS Neurosurgeons urge Congress to pass bill addressing prior authorization by year's end By Alan Condon T he American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons praised the House Ways and Means Committee for advancing the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act. e legislation would protect Medicare Advantage patients from prior authorization practices that could limit their timely access to medically necessary care, the societies said in a July 27 news release. e bill has more than 300 co-sponsors in the House and is endorsed by 500 state and national organizations representing patients, providers and the medtech and biopharmaceutical industry, the release said. "e onerous prior authorization process has increased significantly over the last several years — causing unacceptable delays and denials of medical treatments, John Ratliff, MD, chair of the AANS/CNS Washington Committee, said in the release. "Our patients cannot afford to wait or jump through unnecessary hoops to get care for painful and life-threatening neurologic conditions. is progress is a vital step towards preserving patients' timely access to care." Dr. Ratliff called on Congress to pass the bill before the end of the year. n $40M raised for world's 1st shock absorber knee implant By Marcus Robertson Devicemaker Moximed has raised $40 million to develop what the company says is the world's first implantable shock absorber for the knee. e Misha knee system is designed to be implanted in an outpatient procedure, Moximed said Aug. 16. It is intended as an alternative to total knee replacement for patients with mild to moderate osteoarthritis. e series C equity and debt financing round was led by Advent Life Sciences, Moximed said. n Orthopedic surgeon gets 5 years' probation for buying back oxycodone from patient By Alan Condon K eith Hughes, an orthopedic surgeon whose medical license was revoked in 2021, was sentenced to five years of probation Aug. 2 for writing fraudulent prescriptions and buying back thousands of painkillers from a patient, the Lincoln Journal Star reported. In July 2020, Mr. Hughes was arrested on allegations that he had used a patient to obtain oxycodone for his personal use in exchange for cash or services, such as food, sports memorabilia and clothing, according to the Aug. 3 report. Mr. Hughes and the patient in question were both indicted, entered guilty pleas and were sentenced to probation. Mr. Hughes was also hit with a $20,000 fine, and the patient received a $1,000 fine. The surgeon, who previously practiced at Lincoln-based Nebraska Foot and Ankle, wrote 63 prescriptions for more than 4,200 pills for the patient between 2018 and 2020, according to the report. n Mergers, spin-off on the table for spine company in Walmart By Claire Wallace O rthopedic treatment provider IMAC Holdings' board of directors is exploring strategic alternatives for the company, including mergers, a spin-off or another strategic transaction. "As our company continues to expand into complementary revenue streams, we believe the time is right to investigate a range of strategic alternatives with the intent to pursue profitable growth and maximize shareholder value," Jeffrey Ervin, IMAC's CEO, said in a July 26 press release. In 2021, IMAC launched a partnership with Walmart, placing its chiropractic clinics, the Back Space, in certain stores throughout the country. By 2022, Walmart and IMAC expanded their partnership, adding additional spine and chiropractic locations. IMAC also operates 10 outpatient clinics and in 2020 initiated a clinical trial studying stem cell treatment of bradykinesia in Parkinson's disease patients. IMAC did not disclose a timetable or any additional details on its strategic alternatives. n

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