Six spine surgeons talk about the biggest challenges for spine surgeons in terms of healthcare reform.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed into law a bill that aims to regulating pain clinics, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

Here are seven things for spine surgeons to know for Thursday, April 11, 2013.

A bill introduced to the House of Representatives would offer an electronic health record penalty exemption to near retirement-age physicians who fail to adopt systems, according Medscape.

A pain clinic regulation bill was passed by the Georgia Senate last week, according to a report by The Washington Post.

The Missouri Senate has approved legislation that requires insurance companies to cover medical services provided electronically if they cover the same service provided in person, according to a KRCG 13 report.  

Much buzz has been generated for months about the crisis of across-the-board spending cuts that took effect Friday after Congress failed to pass an equivalent $1.2 trillion savings package over the next 10 years. Few federal programs were spared from the cuts other than the Medicaid and CHIP programs.

If passed, a Utah bill would alter the process by which medical providers are summoned to appear before a pre-litigation panel in medical malpractice lawsuits, according to a Salt Lake Tribune report.

The Georgia House of Representatives has approved legislation regulating pain management clinics, according to an Independent Mail report.  

Republican senators have reintroduced a bill to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board — a structure the lawmakers say will result in healthcare rationing, according to a report from The Hill.