'Most tone-deaf move to
date': Spine surgeons react
to CMS' proposed 3.34%
pay cut
CMS on July 13 released its proposed
2024 Medicare physician fee schedule,
and it includes a decreased conversion
factor of 3.34 percent. The news comes as
a disappointment to many spine surgeons
who are already facing reimbursement
headwinds in recent years.
Could spine practices
implement 4-day work
weeks?
The five-day long work week is common
for many professions, but reducing it by a
day has become a new idea. The four-day
work week is an idea that some companies
and countries have tested. For spine
surgeons, the possibility of the schedule
hinges on different factors.
continued on page 11
continued on page 19
continued on page 12
Where does spine need a
disruptor most?
The spine surgery industry has seen major shifts through the
years. But some areas may be due for a serious shakeup.
30+
STORIES INSIDE
Unnecessary spine, orthopedic surgeries on the rise p. 7
2 9 T H A N N U A L M E E T I N G
The Business & Operations
of ASCS
October 26 - 28, 2023 | Swissotel Chicago
SAVE THE DATE
IN THIS ISSUE:
MedVanta adds
3 leaders
p. 18
7 big orthopedic
device companies
paid hundreds of
millions to physicians
last year
p. 20
The state with the
most top-ranked
neurosurgery
hospitals
p. 6
Inpatient spinal fusion
costs vs. cervical
spinal fusion costs in
all 50 states
p. 10
Stark law changes
ramp up in 2023
p. 22
September 2023 • Vol. 2023 No. 5
