As the shift towards value-based healthcare reform gains momentum, there will be major strategic and organizational changes to how care delivery is redesigned, measured, and reimbursed. This episode delves into the realm of value-based care, exploring fundamental concepts related to alternative payment models in clinical orthopaedics, and how Patient Reported Outcome Measures impact individual patient care, as well as their role in new population health measures with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.  

Guests: Eric Makhni, MD, MBA, FAAOS with the Henry Ford Health 

and Prakash Jayakumar, MD, PHD with the University of Texas at Austin, Dell Medical School 

Host: Adam Bruggeman, MD, FAAOS, FAOrthA, Chair, AAOS Advocacy Council 

Episode Summary: The House of Delegates is the legislative and policy-making body within the American Medical Association (AMA). In this episode, orthopaedic surgeon and AMA Board of Trustees Member Dr. Michael Suk explains how the specialty is represented within the House of Medicine and how initiatives to advance the quality of musculoskeletal care are shared by both organizations. 

More on the AMA Recovery Plan for America’s Physicians can be found here.  

Guest: Michael Suk, MD, JD, MPH, MBA, FAAOS, Chair-elect, American Medical Association 

Host: Adam Bruggeman, MD, FAAOS, FAOrthA, Chair, AAOS Advocacy Council  

Lengthy prior authorization processes delay care for patients and contribute to physician burnout. Using Texas as a case study, this episode explains how solutions like the federal version of the state’s GOLD Card law would streamline approvals for medically necessary care as well as make insurance requirements more electronic and transparent. 

More on AAOS’ prior authorization advocacy efforts: aaos.org/advocacy/advocacy-action-center/prior-authorization

Previous podcast episode on prior authorization: aaos.org/publications/the-bone-beat-orthopaedic-podcast-channel/the-bone-beat-advocacy-podcast/episode-19

2023 Orthopaedic Advocacy Week: aaos.org/advocacy/get-involved/orthopaedic-advocacy-week

Guest: Christine Kean, COO, The San Antonio Orthopaedic Group

Host: Adam Bruggeman, MD, FAAOS, FAOrthA, Chair, AAOS Advocacy Council

Innovation in orthopaedic care faces stiff headwinds, but the relationships among stakeholders are not zero-sum. Following the in-person AAOS/FDA Townhall during the 2023 AAOS Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, leaders from both organizations sat down for an intimate conversation on the ways we can evolve together to improve patient care. They emphasized the need for collaboration, innovation, and reliable data to improve patient outcomes and shape the future of the field. Listen as we delve into the topic of innovation in orthopaedic medical devices, products and technology.

More from AAOS on devices. Biologics and technology: https://www.aaos.org/quality/biologics/

More on AAOS’ advocacy efforts: https://www.aaos.org/advocacy/federal-advocacy-issues/drugs-devices-and-fda/

Guests: David Jevsevar, MD, MBA, FAAOS, Chair of Research and Quality Council, AAOS; Captain Raquel Peat, PhD, MPH, Director, Office of Orthopedic Devices, FDA

Host: Adam Bruggeman, MD, FAAOS, FAOrthA, Chair, AAOS Advocacy Council

The debate over the pros and cons of physician-owned hospitals has spanned over a decade. Now as momentum builds in Congress to repeal restrictions on their growth and expansion, this episode explains how they help meet a growing demand for services, particularly in rural and underserved areas, and are an important piece of increasing competition in the healthcare delivery system.

Previous episode on physician-owned hospitals: https://www.aaos.org/publications/the-bone-beat-orthopaedic-podcast-channel/the-bone-beat-advocacy-podcast/episode-7/

Guest: Blake Curd, MD, FAAOS, Past President of Physician Hospitals of America

Host: Adam Bruggeman, MD, FAAOS, FAOrthA, Chair, AAOS Advocacy Council

It has been two years since the No Surprises Act was passed into law, yet it continues to face numerous legal challenges and iterations of rulemaking with regards to implementation. This episode dives into the latest developments and discusses what is and is not working with a guest expert focused on independent dispute resolution for healthcare professionals.

More on AAOS Advocacy on this issue: https://www.aaos.org/advocacy/advocacy-action-center/surprise-billing/

Learn more about HaloMD: https://halomd.com/

Guest: Alla LaRoque, President, HaloMD

Host: Adam Bruggeman, MD, FAAOS, FAOrthA, Chair, AAOS Advocacy Council

In his last episode as podcast host and chair of the AAOS Advocacy Council, Dr. Douglas Lundy passes the torch to orthopaedic spine surgeon Dr. Adam Bruggeman. Recorded live at the 2023 Annual Meeting, Drs. Lundy and Bruggeman run through some of the most pressing issues threatening musculoskeletal care.

Guest: Adam Bruggeman, MD, FAAOS, Incoming Chair, AAOS Advocacy Council 

Host: Douglas Lundy, MD, MBA, FAAOS, Outgoing Chair, AAOS Advocacy Council 

As we approach International Women’s Day 2023, this episode from the vault discusses the power that women bring to orthopaedic advocacy. AAOS leader, political pro, and seasoned advocate Claudette Lajam, MD, FAAOS, explains how their unique empathy towards patients and perspective on issues are invaluable to policy discussions and advancing musculoskeletal care. According to Dr. Lajam, it’s a matter of having women at the table, being aware of opportunities, and contributing in a way that pulls on each individual’s strengths. 

Guest: Claudette Lajam, MD, FAAOS, NYU Langone Orthopedic Center

Host: Douglas Lundy, MD, MBA, FAAOS, Chair, AAOS Advocacy Council

This episode features a conversation with two physician members of Congress: U.S. Representatives Larry Bucshon, MD (IN-08), who spent 15 years in the private sector as a cardiothoracic surgeon, and Greg Murphy, MD (NC-03) who is a practicing urologist. They discuss how the Healthy Future Task Force is tackling policy problems in the 118th Congress and what's on the agenda for the Doctor/Patient Relationship Subcommittee, designed to empower Americans to have a personalized health care plan.

Guests: U.S. Representatives Larry Bucshon, MD (IN-08) and Greg Murphy, MD (NC-03)

Host: Douglas Lundy, MD, MBA, FAAOS, Chair, AAOS Advocacy Council

A myriad of important health policy decisions impacting orthopaedic surgery are made at the state-level, including health insurance regulation, certificate-of-need and scope of practice issues, to name only a few. In this episode, orthopaedic hand surgeon and Georgia State Senator Kay Kirkpatrick, MD, FAAOS shares her perspective on state advocacy, the importance of being engaged on state issues, and the recently passed legislation to reform prior authorization. 

Guest: The Honorable Kay Kirkpatrick, MD, FAAOS, Senator, Georgia State Senate

Host: Douglas Lundy, MD, MBA, FAAOS, AAOS Advocacy Council Chair