Proposed revisions to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rules for joint replacement surgery will change the way surgeons bill for and price knee and hip replacements, but COVID-19 is delaying the process. In February, the CMS plan was to invite comments on the rule changes until April 24, and to institute changes in December, when the current rules for joint replacement surgery were set to expire. But the COVID-19 pandemic has changed many things, including the timing of the new comprehensive care for joint replacement model. Last week, CMS announced that the original rules would be extended by 3 months, until March 31, 2021, and that the comment deadline would be extended to June 23. The extensions were welcome news for orthopedic surgeons, but, “given the deep financial impact of COVID-19 on participants and the health outcomes of their patients,” the academy is advocating for the original rule to be extended to the end of 2021, said Wilford Gibson, MD, chair of the AAOS Council on Advocacy.
Read the full article: CMS Joint Replacement Rules Debated, Comment Period Extended //
Source: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/929606