February 25, 2008
 

 
TOA President's Update
  

By John T. Gill, MD
President, Texas Orthopaedic Association

In Texas and around the country, many health care issues important to orthopaedics are either new on the scene or seem to be ongoing problems. To help us better measure the temperature of the Texas orthopaedic community, please open, print and fax this form to  answer these questions for us so we will know your concerns.  Or you

may simply fill it out online by clicking here - the password is: toa-03-25-08-is
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Worth Repeating: E-mail Access To Surgeons Improves Communication; Satisfaction remains Unaffected
     

A report published in the February issue of Archives of Surgery finds that providing patients with e-mail access to their surgeons may improve communication without affecting patient satisfaction. Researchers studies 100 patients who were planning to undergo thyroid or parathyroid surgery. Of those, 50 were given an information sheet with the surgeon’s e-mail address and a statement informing them that the surgeon’s preferred method of communication was e-mail. Members

of the control group were given an information sheet that did not include the e-mail address or statement. Both groups were given an appointment card containing the surgeon’s e-mail address. Of patients in the experimental group, 19 of 50 (38 percent) initiated additional communication with the surgeon around the time of operation, while only 7 of 50 (14 percent) in the control group did so. No differences in patient satisfaction were found between the two groups.

To read  more, please click here.
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This Week In Texas: Mignon McGarry Memos

By Mignon McGarry
TOA Legislative Advocate / Memo: Wed. November 28th, 2007
TOA Online Version: All Memos

 

February 21st, Thursday

As we approach the March 4th primary election here in Texas, I thought it would be helpful to review voting procedures. Early voting in Texas

began February 19th and continues until February 29th. The great thing about early voting is that you do not need to vote in your precinct. You may cast your vote at any location offering early voting in your home county. You may also apply for a ballot by mail as long as your application is received by February 26th.

If you are a registered voter in the state of Texas, you will simply choose your party and vote in that party's primary. In Texas, we do not register to vote by party. A person becomes "affiliated" with a party by voting in a party's primary and the affiliation lasts only for that primary year. The affiliation means that the person may not vote in another party’s primary or participate in another party’s convention or sign an independent candidate’s petition for place on the ballot if the independent candidate’s position appears on the primary ballot. In November’s general election, a voter may vote for whomever the voter wishes, regardless of how the voter cast their ballot in the primary election, since all candidates are on the same ballot.
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Workers' Compensation: New Medical Fee Guidelines FAQ's
  

Frequently asked questions covered in this report:

 

•  What is Medicare’s conversion factor for calendar year 2008?

•  What conversion factors are applicable under the Medical Fee
    Guideline?

•  With the new MFG rules there is no longer a multiplier of Medicare,
    so how can we determine what the MAR amount is without having
    the percentage of Medicare’s reimbursement?

  • With the new MFG rules there is no longer a multiplier of Medicare, so how can we determine what the MAR amount is without having the percentage of Medicare’s reimbursement?

  • How will I know when the Medicare Economic Index (MEI) changes and what Division conversion factor to use?

  • Will there be any instructions or education pertaining to the new MFG rules?

  • Do the new and amended rules apply to Certified Workers’ Compensation Health Care Networks?

  • Can a health care provider be reimbursed both the HPSA and workers’ compensation underserved area incentive payments?

  • Is it necessary for the health care provider (HCP) to use a modifier to indicate that the medical service was provided in a workers’ compensation underserved area?

  • Can health care providers other than doctors be paid the workers’ compensation underserved area incentive payment?

  • What codes are used for case management services and how are these services billed?

  • How will I get reimbursed if I provide a treatment plan to an insurance carrier, but I am not the treating doctor?

  • Are the durable medical equipment (DME) fees also increased based on the MEI annual percentage changes?

  • Has the MAR for Designated Doctor Examinations for MMI/IR changed?

  • How does a Designated Doctor bill and be reimbursed for MMI/IR examination in combination with other Division ordered Designated Doctor Examinations?

To view the complete document, please click here.

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AAOS 75th Anniversary Celebration!
 

Celebrate with your Academy: Learn, interact and enjoy the 75th Anniversary projects!

View a historical film - the 75th Anniversary historical film Moving

Pictures reflects on the last 75 years of orthopaedic innovation and development by researchers, surgeons, industry, and happenstance. The story is conveyed largely through the personal stories of orthopaedic surgeons and patients.

Take in a three-dimensional art exhibit - this stunning, 5-foot by 7.5-foot piece of three-dimensional art is made up of actual and miniaturized pieces of the Academy’s history that will take your breath away.

Travel the Digital Timeline - this must-see Digital Timeline takes viewers on an interactive, historical adventure where they can view more than 1,500 events that have taken place over the history of orthopaedics.

Check out the traveling exhibit - stroll through the traveling exhibit and watch the history of orthopaedics unfold before your eyes. Major subject areas include Academy history, the New Century, the War Years, Polio, Scoliosis, Industry, Joint Replacement, Specialties, the Future, and more.

Enjoy the eMotion Pictures art show - admire the more than 200 artworks that sometimes humorously, sometimes poignantly, portray the patient and physician perspective of our orthopaedic specialty.

Flip through a commemorative coffee table book - rich with images, personal stories, and timelines noting significant events in the history of orthopaedics, the coffee table book, Moving Stories: Seventy-five Years of Orthopaedic Surgery, commemorates the Academy’s Diamond Jubilee.

“Get it Straight” with a historical reference book – this ambitious text, Getting it Straight: A History of American Orthopaedics, documents the development of the specialty, historical markers, and medical advances in areas such as fracture care, manipulation, and surgery, in addition to the history of AAOS and other orthopaedic societies.

Visit the Celebratory Web site - everything the 75th Anniversary has to offer can be experienced by visiting the new site by clicking here.  To view this flyer, please click here.
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