Overview of the Open Payment Database: What do I need to know?
The intertwining relationship between industry and medicine has been evident and ever-so apparent in recent decades. While these relationships are vital for innovation, concerns of potential conflict of interest (COI) have called into question the objectivity of scientific research and patient care. To help alleviate these concerns, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) […]
Cross-Post: When Insurance Fails
From time to time on Neurosurgery Blog, you will see us cross-posting or linking to items from other places that may interest our readers. Today’s post originally appeared in The Lincoln Journal Star, titled “When Insurance Fails.” In the op-ed, neurosurgeon Jeremy Hosein, MD, discusses the misuse of prior authorization, which delays care, prolongs suffering […]
2020 — A Year in Review
While 2020 is a year that most people want to forget, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) made significant strides in accomplishing its legislative and regulatory agenda, thus ensuring that neurosurgical patients continue to have timely access to quality care. Following are some highlights of these advocacy […]
Lasting Change: Assessing the Potential Long Term Impact of COVID-19
“Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.” Ruth Bader Ginsburg Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court The economic, medical, political and psychological tsunami unleashed by the COVID-19 virus is unlike anything we have seen in our lifetime. The traumatic disruption of 9-11 was limited in comparison to our current crisis. While impossible to […]
MIPS, Cost Measures and Innovation from a Neurosurgical Perspective
Clemens M. Schirmer, MD, PhD, FAANS, FACS, FAHA Vice-Chair, AANS/CNS Communications and Public Relations Committee Geisinger Wilkes Barre, PA The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) is a law that reformed the Medicare payment system by repealing the sustainable growth rate formula (SGR), which calculated payment cuts for physicians. It also created […]
Unnecessary Regulatory Burden: Appropriate Use Criteria for Advanced Diagnostic Imaging
Ann R. Stroink, MD, CPE, FAANS Chair, AANS/CNS Washington Committee System Medical Director, Neurosciences Quality and Educational Program Development Senior Neurosurgeon CINHS Central Illinois Neuro Health Science Bloomington, IL Ordering X-rays or other diagnostic imaging used to be purposeful and easy. Physicians, whether primary care or specialists, would see the patient, take a history and perform a […]
King Arthur or Don Quixote: What Kind of Knight are EHR Systems?
Guest Post from Deborah L. Benzil, MD, FACS, FAANS Chair, AANS/CNS Communications and Public Relations Committee Vice Chair, Neurosurgery Cleveland Clinic Foundation Cleveland, OH Electronic Health Records (EHRs) danced into the medical arena like a knight in shining armor. Promised were the magical stuff of legends, like King Arthur and Excalibur including: Legibility; Speed; Cost […]
Misleading the Public: Analyzing Online Rating of Surgeons
Guest post from Linda W. Xu, MD Neurosurgical Resident, Stanford University Hospital and Clinics Palo Alto, CA Online ratings fill the Internet, and it is almost impossible to avoid them. So it is no surprise that for patients facing the difficult decision to have surgery, it is natural to gather information about their surgeon. Until […]
Neurosurgeons Express Serious Concerns with Medicare Physician Payment Rules
Guest post from Katie O. Orrico, Esq. Director, Washington Office American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) On April 27, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a proposal to overhaul the way Medicare pays physicians. The proposed rule implements key elements of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). This […]
Cross Post – New Survey: Americans Support Patient-Centered Solutions, Oppose Government Determining Value
From time to time on Neurosurgery Blog, you will see us cross-posting or linking to items from other publications or places when we believe they hit the mark on an issue. Today’s post originally appeared on the PIPC Blog, and it highlights a new survey which finds most Americans want to decide the best course […]