July/August 2015
On the Cover
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How spine surgeons fit into population health — 3 key ways practices are changing |
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How orthopedic & spine practices can thrive over the next 5 years — Drs. Richard Wohns, Daniel Murrey, David Rothbart The healthcare landscape is tough, but there are orthopedic practices thriving today. Click here to continue >> |
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8 trends in the spine surgery payer, reimbursement market D1 Payer Insights released a new report on the expected trends in payer management and reimbursement for spine surgery in the second quarter of this year. Click here to continue >> |
Publishers Letter
This letter examines two core issues. Click here to continue >>
38 spine-driven ASCs to know | 2015
With new techniques and technologies making outpatient spine surgery safer and more effective, more and more ambulatory surgery centers are becoming increasingly spine-focused. Click here to continue >>
McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center fires surgeon who performs cases at ASC; surgeon sues hospital - 11 key notes
Kristian Ferry, MD, is suing McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center in Springfield. Click here to continue >>
Hospitals face 4 lawsuits in connection with unnecessary spine surgeries case — 6 things to know
There are now four lawsuits against UC Health system hospitals Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and West Chester Hospital in connection with spine surgeon Atiq Durrani, MD, according to a Cincinnati Business Courier report. Click here to continue >>
Dr. Aria Sabit pleads guilty to unnecessary spine surgery, faces 11+ years in prison — 5 things to know Aria Sabit, MD, a neurosurgeon formerly practicing in Michigan, pled guilty to performing unnecessary spine surgery and billing insurance companies and the government unlawfully, according to a Detroit Free Press report. Click here to continue >>
Population Health
Population health and spine: 5 key predictions & 5 ways to prepare for the future How are physicians — especially specialists — interacting with population health? Click here to continue >>
Dr. Neel Anand: Challenges & opportunities in spine population health
Clinical Professor of Surgery, Director, Spine Trauma at Cedars-Sinai Spine Center Neel Anand, MD, discusses how spine surgeons are thinking about population health, and who is responsible for educating patients about proper spine care in the future. Click here to continue >>
Neurosurgeon named in counterfeit spinal implant lawsuit — 5 things to know
Former neurosurgeon Cully White, MD, is at the center of a whistle-blower lawsuit involving kickbacks and counterfeit implants, according to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report. Click here to continue >>
CMS proposes ASC policy, payment changes for 2016: 8 things to know
CMS has released its proposed policy and payment changes rule for the CY 2016 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System. Click here to continue >>
Leadership Spotlight
Biggest influences, accomplishments & leadership through change — Spotlight on Dr. Richard Wohns
Richard Wohns, MD, discusses his key thoughts on healthcare today and leadership for the future. Click here to continue >>
Practice Management
Do you have an independent spine practice? These ancillaries will keep you there
Lower reimbursements coupled with increasing operating expenses are tightening margins for independent medical practices. Click here to continue >>
10 spine, neurosurgeons on the move — June 4, 2015
Here are 10 spine surgeons and neurosurgeons that recently joined new practices or were promoted to new positions. Click here to continue >>
Blue Cross parent posts $281.9M loss in first year of PPACA exchanges
The largest nonprofit health insurer in the country, Chicago-based Health Care Service Corp., which is the Blue Cross & Blue Shield insurer for Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, reported a $281.9 million loss in 2014, compared with a $684.3 million surplus the year prior, according to a Crain's Chicago Business report. Click here to continue >>
Healthcare spending rises 7.2% in Q1: 5 key points
Healthcare and social assistance revenue for the first quarter of 2015 was $579.3 billion, down 0.4 percent from the fourth quarter of 2014, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Quarterly Services Survey. Click here to continue >>
2016 PPACA insurance rates: 8 things to know
Proposed premium rates for health plans under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act continue to attract attention. Click here to continue >>
The CORE Institute, Louisiana Orthopaedic Specialists partner: 4 important observations
Phoenix-based The CORE Institute partnered with Louisiana Orthopaedic Specialists in Lafayette. Click here to continue >>
3,900 physicians earn millions from Medicare in 2013: 3 things to know
CMS recently released data on Medicare payments to healthcare organizations and providers. Click here to continue >>
Lifestyles
5 literature-loving spine surgeons discuss the works that influenced them most
Ernest Hemingway once said "There is no friend as loyal as a book." Here, five spine surgeons discuss books and authors that have had an impact on their professional and personal lives. Click here to continue >>
Brigham and Women's Hospital names Dr. James Kang orthopedics chairman: 6 key facts
Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston named James D. Kang, MD, as chairman of the department of orthopedic surgery. Click here to continue >>
The best music to pump up or calm down orthopedic, spine surgeons in the OR
Six orthopedic and spine surgeons discuss what music they use in the operation room to pump them up — or calm them down — during cases. Click here to continue >>
Cigna rejects latest takeover bid from Anthem
Cigna has rejected Anthem's latest takeover bid, according to The New York Times. Click here to continue >>
Geisinger Medical Center joins Employers Centers of Excellence for spine care — 6 key notes
Geisinger Medical Center was named one of three hospital providers for spine surgery in the Employers Centers of Excellence Network from The Pacific Business Group on Health. Click here to continue >>
5 statistics on orthopedic surgeon net worth
Medscape's "Physician Debt and Net Worth Report 2015" includes statistics about physician net worth by specialty. Click here to continue >>
CMS unable to verify $2.8B in payments to insurers
CMS put $2.8 billion at risk between January and April 2014 by not effectively tracking subsidies paid to insurers under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to a report issued Tuesday from the HHS Office of Inspector General. Click here to continue >>
Executive Briefing: Trends in Artificial Disc Replacement
Motion preservation and the rise of disc replacement
For years, spinal fusion has been the dominant procedure for cervical spine surgery. Click here to continue >>
Fallout from the physician shortage: How will it affect spine care
Here, five spine surgeons discuss how the physician shortage, combined with the increase in the insured population, will affect spine care delivery. Click here to continue >>
5 things to know about adult spinal deformity patient-reported outcomes
A new study published in Spinal Deformity examines patient-reported outcomes for adult spinal deformity. Click here to continue >>
Supreme Court keeps ACA exchange subsidies intact — 5 things to know
The Supreme Court ruled nationwide tax subsidies for health insurance exchanges are here to stay, according to a report from The New York Times. Click here to continue >>
OIG kickback alert focuses on physician compensation arrangements
HHS' Office of the Inspector General issued a fraud alert addressing physician compensation arrangements on Tuesday that outlined the consequences physicians could face for accepting kickbacks disguised as medical directorships. Click here to continue >>