AAOS Now Podcast

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:...

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,...

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 matt...

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 R...

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,...

Following the 2022 midterm election, AAOS political experts recap how candidates supported by the Orthopaedic PAC fared, as well as the new physician leaders elected to Congress. They explain the importance of the lame duck session and how Congress has the opportunity to pass two bills before the end of the year that are critically important to the musculoskeletal community. Resources Pre-election...

In this episode recorded just weeks out from the 2022 midterm election, AAOS’ Senior Political Director breaks down the physicians currently in Congress, those at risk for re-election, and new candidates vying for office. They explain the importance of physician representation at the federal level for key decision-making as well as civic engagement for the future of the profession. Joint Policy Ca...

In this episode, advocacy leaders from the AAOS review proposed payment policy changes for 2023 in the inpatient and outpatient setting including ongoing cuts to reimbursement in the annual Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. They summarize each of the three regulatory rules, highlight changes specific to musculoskeletal care, then discuss the careful balance between stabilizing the system in the sho...

AAOS is the leading voice for musculoskeletal health, but its voice is only as strong as its members are unified despite their vast differences in sub specialization and political ideology. In this episode, former AAOS President Gerald Williams, Jr., MD, FAAOS makes the case that coming together as one national orthopaedic organization and staying focused on ortho-partisan issues is necessary to a...

Workplace violence in the healthcare setting occurs four times more often than in the average workplace and recently claimed the life of an orthopaedic surgeon in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This episode features a conversation with two AAOS leaders working to make a difference: one who chairs AAOS’ Patient Safety Committee and the other who is a sworn police officer. They share a dialogue around the surge i...

AAOS Advocacy extends beyond the halls of Capitol Hill to ensure that quality initiatives continue to improve patient outcomes and reduce administrative burden. In this episode, AAOS Advocacy Council Chair and podcast host Douglas Lundy, MD, MBA, FAAOS sits down with James Huddleston III, MD, FAAOS Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Stanford Hospital to discuss the role that advocacy has in advan...

In this episode, AAOS Advocacy Council Chair and podcast host Douglas Lundy, MD, MBA, FAAOS sits down with Al Olszewski, MD, FAAOS (R-MT) to discuss his 2022 campaign for Congress. They discuss Dr. Al’s path to politics, why it’s important for orthopaedic surgeons to be involved politically, and how politicians can work together in the best interest of patients. Dr. Al's primary is on June 7. Addi...

In this episode, Dr. Lundy interviews three AAOS members who have different perspectives on the role of consolidation in the advancement of musculoskeletal care. Listeners will hear from them on the pros and cons of consolidation and learn more about how consolidation will influence future trends in the practice of orthopaedic surgery.  Additional links and resources: Podcast episode on "Repeal of...

This second episode in our series on consolidation in healthcare centers around the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) role of enforcing the nation's antitrust laws and ensuring competition within the industry. Special guest Mark D. Seidman, Assistant Director for the Mergers IV Division at the FTC, explains how the agency investigates mergers and their impact on the future of healthcare delivery. ...

The consolidation of hospitals, practices, and the healthcare market in general is a hot button issue which remains ever-present for orthopaedic surgeons. AAOS Advocacy Council Chair and podcast host Douglas Lundy, MD, MBA, FAAOS explores the trend and its impact on musculoskeletal care from various angles in this three-part series. In Part 1 with health policy analyst Brian Miller, MD, MBA, MPH,...

Insurer influence on the practice of orthopaedic surgery continues to increase. The implementation of the No Surprises Act on Jan. 1, along with the ongoing administrative burden and delayed patient care caused by prior authorization requirements, will bring additional challenges to both physicians and patients in the year ahead. In this episode, Tony DaRe from the national employee benefits consu...

Orthopaedic surgery is set to face reductions in Medicare reimbursement and changes to the process for resolving surprise medical bills beginning Jan. 1, 2022. AAOS Advocacy Council Chair Douglas W. Lundy, MD, MBA, FAAOS, sits down with senior staff from the AAOS Office of Government Relations to explain these healthcare policy changes, what the AAOS has been doing to preserve the value of surgica...

The issue of patients receiving unanticipated medical bills is back in the national spotlight. It rose to prominence in 2019, consumed the attention of policymakers in 2020, and is the focus of newly released regulations designed to implement the “No Surprises Act,” which passed in late 2020. This episode, with interviews from an AAOS member expert and a senior health legislative assistant to U.S....

Orthopaedic surgery is set to face an up to 10% reduction in Medicare reimbursement beginning in 2022. This discussion with a healthcare economist dives into the effects that these cuts will have on physician practices and patient care amidst our nation’s growing healthcare expenditures. Participants discuss the government’s reasoning behind the cuts; unintended consequences on access issues and p...

At the AAOS 2021 Annual Meeting, new host and Advocacy Council Chair Douglas Lundy, MD, MBA, FAAOS, recorded a live, on-site interview with Austin Beason, MD, who is Chair of the Resident Assembly and host of the AAOS Career Podcast. They discussed the value of increasing resident involvement in political advocacy as the future leaders of musculoskeletal health, whether it is by participating in g...

This final episode of the three-part series for AAOS’ Orthopaedic Advocacy Week discusses reducing and preventing physician mental health issues. Following the moving story of Dr. Lorna Breen, an emergency physician who died by suicide while working on the front lines of the pandemic, the conversation features powerful perspectives on breaking down the stigma and increasing access to treatment—sta...

This part two episode of a three-part series for AAOS’ Orthopaedic Advocacy Week focuses on ensuring that flexibilities for valuable telemedicine services remain post-pandemic. Adam S. Levin, MD, FAAOS, who helped rapidly introduce a robust telemedicine program for the Johns Hopkins Orthopaedic Department during a five-day period, interviews U.S. Representative Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) on his recently...

This part one episode of a three-part series on the issues AAOS is raising during Orthopaedic Advocacy Week focuses on prior authorization reform. In interviews with the original co-sponsors of the “Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act,” we discuss how the bipartisan, bicameral legislation will help protect patients from unnecessary delays in care by streamlining and standardizing prior au...

AAOS President Daniel K. Guy, MD, FAAOS, extends a special invitation for members to participate in Orthopaedic Advocacy Week May 24-28, 2021. He explains how the new, completely virtual event is different from previous advocacy opportunities, what issues orthopaedic surgeons will raise with lawmakers, and why individual participation is “paramount” for amplifying year-long advocacy efforts on hea...

Prior authorization paperwork, insurance battles over setting of care, and EHR documentation challenges are just a few of the many ways that government policies can stand in the way of patient care. In this episode with new AAOS Advocacy Council Chair Douglas W. Lundy, MD, MBA, FAAOS, we discuss the threats we’re fighting in 2021 and how these rules and regulations impact orthopaedic surgery from...