Spine Surgeon Raj Rao, MD, is professor of orthopaedic surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and is also a major player in U.S. regulatory and health policy. He's a voting member of the Advisory Panel on Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Devices of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and also a member of the board of directors of the North American Spine Society.

CMS is going ahead with plans to slash Medicare physician reimbursements by 21.2 percent next year, following a requirement to put reimbursements in line with a sustainable growth rate formula, according to a final rule issued by CMS.