The FOS has released an updated program for the upcoming 2008 Scientific Annual Meeting taking place May 15-18 at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo. Please click on the following link to view the program. Download 2008_program_second_mailing.pdf
Additional information can be found on the Annual Meeting page of the FOS website. http://www.fos-society.com/annual07/page4.htm
The Florida Orthopaedic Society is conducting elections for the 5 Regional Representatives to the FOS Board of Directors. Florida has 5 regions geographically distributed throughout the state. The Regional Representative positions were created to allow the local members to directly elect representation to the Board of Directors. The Regional Representatives serve a three year term. The elections are regional elections so members may only vote in the Region where they practice.
The FOS Online Election Center is now updated and ready for the online election. We have a number of quality candidates who are running for these positions and we do have contested elections in some of the regions. Your participation is very important. Please visit the FOS website to cast your vote.
The link to the FOS Elections Center is: http://www.fos-society.com/electioncenter.html.
You can also access the Election Center from the FOS home page: http://www.fos-society.com/..
Instructions to assist you in voting online are included on the election center. Members will be asked to provide some unique identifiers that FOS staff will review to ensure all casted ballots are official and only counted once. (This is simple information like your name, practice address, email address, etc. You do not need a membership number or anything secretive like that.) Please note that once the ballot is completed and submitted, your computer will not open the ballot again. This is a security measure to ensure members only vote one time. Group practices should be aware that each member will need to vote from a different computer.
Additional information on the election center includes:
1. An overview of the positions to be filled.
2. A list of qualified candidates.
3. Biographical information for each candidate.
4. A link to the actual ballot.
5. A narrative from each candidate on why they would like the position.
Voting should not take more than a few minutes. Please consider participating in this important election.
CongressNow reports that a proposal to restrict physician ownership of hospitals has been removed from a farm bill. The measure had been proposed as a way to offset the costs of the $280 billion subsidy bill. Opponents of the provision charged that the move infringed upon the jurisdictions of several congressional committees and that any proposed cuts in Medicare reimbursement should be used to pay for health care instead of offsetting agricultural spending. Opponents also disapprove of legislation that would also essentially ban the growth of physician-owned hospitals.
American Medical News reports that legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Senate to continue a 0.5 percent Medicare pay increase through the latter half of 2008 and institute a 1.8 percent update for 2009. According to information from Congressional Daily, the chair of the Senate finance committee stated that there is support for bypassing committee review and sending a bill to fix Medicare directly to the Senate floor. Currently, physicians are slated to receive a 10.6 percent reduction in Medicare reimbursement starting July 1 and an additional cut of about 5 percent in 2009.
A report to Congress issued by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) states that the agency is concerned that repeated annual reductions in physician payment rates could threaten beneficiaries’ access to physician services. MedPAC has previously called for a 1.1 percent increase in physician Medicare reimbursement to replace the scheduled 10.6 percent cut. The report also states that the current payment system "undervalues primary care services and introduces other distorted incentives that encourage overuse of some services and underuse of others."
A survey of more than 1,000 group practice professionals conducted by the Medical Group Management Association finds that many group practices across the United States have already taken measures in response to an uncertain Medicare reimbursement environment. In anticipation of a 10.6 percent reduction in Medicare payments scheduled to go into effect on July 1, nearly 24 percent or respondents stated that they had either begun limiting or not accepting new Medicare patients. Furthermore, 46 percent of respondents said they would have to stop accepting and/or limit the number of Medicare beneficiaries their practices treat if the cut proceeds as planned.
A report released by the not-for-profit Pacific Research Institute ranks the best and worst state tort systems in the United States. "U.S. Tort Liability Index: 2008 Report" valuated the tort laws of each state, in addition to taking into consideration tort costs and litigation risks. North Dakota was found to be tops in terms of low tort costs, but the report suggests that lack of strong tort reform laws could make that state a target for trial lawyers in the future. Conversely, Florida ranked the worst in terms of tort cost and litigation risk, but was determined to have some of the best tort laws in the United State due to recent reforms. States considered to have the best overall tort rules were Colorado, Texas, Ohio, Georgia, Indiana, Florida, and Michigan. States considered to have the worst were Pennsylvania, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Vermont, and Rhode Island.
According to Modern Healthcare, "New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced an “industrywide” investigation into an alleged scheme in which insurers and health information firm Ingenix manipulated reimbursement rates. Cuomo said he has issued 16 subpoenas to insurers and plans to file a lawsuit against Ingenix, its parent, UnitedHealth Group, and three UnitedHealth subsidiaries."
We wanted to make you aware of a CME course taking place in Miami on Sunday, March 2, hosted by one of our FOS Members, Alejandro Badia, M.D. The FOS and FMA are joint sponsors of this CME event. Please see the announcement below from Dr. Badia and Course Director, Susana McGuire. They have included a link to the course website where you can obtain a complete agenda and registration form.
Sincerely,
Fraser Cobbe
Executive Director
Florida Orthopaedic Society
Happy New Year to everyone!
A reminder that the 2008 Miami Hand Reconstruction Pre-AAOS Course is almost upon us and space is limited. An invitation from Dr. Alejandro Badia below...
Good news! The course has been accredited and will designate a maximum of 7 AMA PRA Category 1 credits!
Register now at www.miamihandcourse.com !
Susana McGuire
Course Director
susana@miamihand.net
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
I once again have the pleasure to invite you to join me for the 3rd annual Miami Hand Reconstruction Pre-AAOS course!
Due to previous success, we will once again hold the meeting in the historic colonnade hotel in beautiful downtown Coral Gables with distinguished faculty coming from as afar as Australia, Italy and Germany. The highlight will, of course, be the social event where participants from around the world can exchange ideas on hand and upper limb arthroscopy and small joint arthroplasty.
Even if you are not going on to San Francisco for the academy meeting, break out your guayabera and come over to tropical Miami for a great learning experience.
Course registration is now available online at www.miamihandcourse.com and hotel space right at the meeting site can be reserved via the conference website.
Un abrazo,
Alejandro
Alejandro Badia, MD, FACS
Surgery of the Hand and Upper Extremity
Chief of Hand Surgery, Baptist Hospital of Miami
Co-founder, Da Vinci learning center
First Coast Service Options, Inc. has released a list of the important Medicare articles that were published and distributed over the past quarter. The list of articles reference a number of important updates and changes in the Medicare program. Please click on the link below to see the list of articles for review.
CQ Healthbeat reports that a “mark-up” of a Medicare bill designed to reverse a 10.1 percent reduction in Medicare reimbursements planned for 2008 by shifting the cost to future years has been cancelled by U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.). The senator instead plans to open direct negotiations with the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees. President Bush had previously threatened to veto any bill containing reductions in Medicare Advantage reimbursements. AAOS has been meeting with Senators and House members in recent months to discuss provisions that may be included in a final Medicare package and will continue to pressure Congress to enact legislation to avert the scheduled cuts. For more information:
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/print_report.cfm?DR_ID=49283&dr_cat=3
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking public comment to help develop a set of measures for documenting the prevalence and variation in efficiency of imaging services. Four preliminary measures are being considered, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbar spine for low back pain. The agency’s stated goal is to use the information to “develop program guidance and policies to ensure that high quality, appropriate care is delivered with minimum waste.” The deadline for any interested parties to review and comment on the preliminary measures is Dec. 14, 2007. For more information:
An issue brief released by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) reviews issues surrounding a shortage of on-call physicians in hospital emergency departments (EDs). The report states that many physicians are unwilling to provide on-call coverage due to factors such as decreased dependence on hospital admitting privileges; the lack of payment for emergency care—especially for uninsured patients; medical liability concerns; and microspecialization, leading to a reluctance to treat conditions outside a narrow specialty focus. Hospitals say they have difficulty securing ED call coverage for specialties such as orthopaedic surgery, neurosurgery, and obstetrics-gynecology, among others. Some hospitals have addressed the issue by offering direct, per patient payment; daily or monthly stipends for on-call work; or additional benefits such as practice management support in order to encourage physician on-call coverage. The report concludes that “Failure to address key factors contributing to the problem—market changes that discourage specialist physicians from providing emergency on-call coverage, including reimbursement incentives that encourage them to seek the higher revenues available in the outpatient and specialty hospital settings, the rising number of uninsured people, and the high costs of medical malpractice insurance—are likely to further aggravate the situation, creating additional quality and cost pressures for the health care system.” For more information:
http://www.hschange.org/CONTENT/957/
The complete issue brief can be viewed at:
The Florida Orthopaedic Society is now accepting abstract submissions, Resident and Fellow Research Competition submissions, and registrations for the 2008 FOS Scientific Annual Meeting. The 2008 Annual Meeting is taking place May 15-18, 2008 at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida. Attached to this posting is all the information you will need to submit abstracts, competition papers, register for the meeting, and start to plan your participation. All of this information will be added to the FOS website in the coming days.
All abstracts and Resident and Fellow Competition papers must be submitted by January 1, 2008 to be considered by the Program Committee. Instructions for regular abstract submissions and the 2008 Resident and Fellows Research Competition are attached. Please let me know if you have any questions.
All abstract and Resident and Fellow Competition submissions must include a completed AAOS FDA Disclosure Form and AAOS Financial Disclosure Form. Both forms are attached as well.
Please email the FOS is you have any questions.
Download 2008_abstract_submission_instructions.doc
Download 2008_abstract_application.doc
Download 2008_residents_and_fellows_research_comp_instructions.doc
Download 2008_aaos_financial_disclosure.doc
Download 2008_aaos_fda_disclosure.doc
Download 2008_fos_annual_meeting_preliminary_program_1_mailing_version.doc
The following is a release from the Florida Division of Workers Compensation concerning the effective date of the 2007 Physicians Fee Schedule:
This notice is to advise that the Florida Workers' Compensation Health Care Provider Reimbursement Manual, 2007 Edition, which is included in Rule 69L-7.020 F.A.C., has been adopted and will become effective October 18, 2007. Please review the entire new rule carefully at the division's web site as it implements the reimbursement rates authorized by the Three Member Panel pursuant to Section 440.13(12) F.S., as well as important amendments throughout each section of the rule. The rule may be found under the sections entitled "New Rules" at: http://www.myfloridacfo.com/wc/ and/or "Publications and Manuals" at: http://www.myfloridacfo.com/wc/publications.html
PDF and ASCII versions of the Florida Workers' Compensation Health Care Provider Reimbursement Manual, 2007 Edition are available at this website.
For questions or additional information regarding this rule, please contact Don Davis, Office of Data Quality and Collection, Division of Workers' Compensation at 850-413-1711.
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