July 21, 2008
 

 
TOA President's Update: H.R. 6478
  

By Timothy L. Beck, MD
President, Texas Orthopaedic Association

The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) is requesting your assistance to take action on the “ACCESS TO AMERICA’S ORTHOPAEDIC SERVICES ACT OF 2008” (H.R. 6478). Some of you may be familiar with this legislation from your participation in the National Orthopaedic Leadership Conference and we appreciate your efforts at

that event. We are now urging you to take action on this bill by asking your representatives in Congress to cosponsor the bill.

H.R. 6478, “Access to America’s Orthopaedic Services (AAOS) Act of 2008”, was introduced on July 10, 2008 in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis (D-CA) and Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX).  This bipartisan legislation represents an historic step for the AAOS as it is the first comprehensive bill to be introduced in the U.S. Congress with a specific focus on musculoskeletal diseases and conditions. Click here for a summary of the bill.

H.R. 6478 will not only focuses on advancing orthopaedic care, research and public awareness of musculoskeletal health, but by raising the profile of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons on Capitol Hill, it will help us to influence the debate on other issues, such as Medicare reimbursement. Increasing the number of cosponsors is integral in moving the AAOS Act forward and we believe state societies will be crucial in accomplishing this goal.

We are very appreciative of your continued support for our advocacy efforts at the federal level.
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TOA Survey - Are These Issues Important To You?
     

By David Teuscher, MD
Legislative Chair, Texas Orthopaedic Association

The Legislature will convene for the 81st Regular Session on January 13, 2009.  We need to know which issues are important to you.  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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This Week In Texas: Mignon McGarry Memos

By Mignon McGarry
TOA Legislative Advocate
TOA Online Version: All Memos

 

Thursday 17th, Thursday

On Tuesday, Senator Florence Shapiro (R-Plano) formally announced her intent to form an exploratory committee to run for the United States

Senate in 2012 or before.  Shapiro is seeking the seat currently held by U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison who has announced that she will not run for another term.

The Texas Department of Transportation was on the hot seat on Tuesday as the Sunset Advisory Commission held a public hearing to discuss the continuation of the troubled agency.  Senator John Carona (R-Dallas) made news by sending a letter to the Sunset Commission urging the creation of a separate consumer agency to handle functions like vehicle registration.  Members of the Commission also discussed the possibility of a single elected Transportation Commissioner or one appointed by the Governor as opposed to the current five member appointed Commission.

Former Congressman and Gubernatorial candidate Chris Bell will formally announce this Sunday that he is in the race for Senate District 17, formerly held by Kyle Janek.  Bell will be the only declared Democrat in the race that already includes Republicans Austen Furse, Joan Huffman, and Grant Harpold.  The special election will be held the same day as the Nov. 4 general election. All candidates, regardless of party affiliation, will run on one ballot.

Colonel Thomas A. Davis, Jr. announced his retirement after 43 years with the Texas Department of Public Safety.  DPS and Davis have been under fire as a result of the fire that caused extensive damage to the Texas Governor’s Mansion.

Robert Black, Governor Rick Perry’s Director of Communications, will be leaving the governor’s office to form his own consulting business in September.
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Texas Orthopaedic Foundation Update
    

The Texas Orthopaedic Foundation has sent correspondence encouraging over 400 healthcare and orthopaedic industry CEO’s to help our new organization become a significant orthopaedic resource for our state.  They were asked to review the Foundation’s mission and goals, as well as to consider the current environment impacting the relationships between orthopaedic surgeons and industry.

You are probably aware of the recent AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs activities that are of great concern to the orthopaedic community and orthopaedic continuing medical education.  Both the

Texas Orthopaedic Foundation and the TOA feel any action dividing orthopaedic surgeons from orthopaedic industry product, innovation or surgery research will ultimately hurt the orthopaedic patient.

We are all aware of the situation faced by orthopaedic manufacturers in light of the recent Department of Justice (DOJ) settlement.  Some regional distributors have pulled back funding of Texas projects and CME because of concerns of their respective monitors.  The Texas Orthopaedic Foundation will be able to offer CME and with the help of our friends of orthopaedics in business…we will build the funding for future orthopaedic research grants.

The Texas Orthopaedic Foundation will hold the 2009 scientific presentations during the TOA/TOF Annual Meeting in Austin April 23-25.  This schedule will enable members to enjoy high quality CME by the Foundation, as well give orthopaedists the opportunity to attend the usual TOA educational exhibits, resident competition, social events, and socioeconomic programming.

We have asked for help from our friends at the corporate level for unrestricted gifts which will secure our scientific sessions at Texas Orthopaedic Foundation meetings and help us build our research funding. As a follow-up, please contact or send us contact information for our business friends of orthopaedics at the corporate levels.

We are asking that companies consider a gift starting at the $10,000 level in 2008, and that corporation will become a Founders Circle member of TOF.  Corporations doing business in Texas are important members of our orthopaedic community and we encourage healthcare companies to stay involved. There is an online donation page on the Foundation’s website that be directly accessed by clicking here.

We are asking you to field questions from your local sales representatives or distributors if our correspondence is sent from the national to the state level.  You can access the website for more detailed information here.  We also encourage company representatives to become a founding member of the Texas Orthopaedic Foundation at the individual level.

Please help us fundraise for the Foundation.  Individual and corporate support is critical to the Texas Orthopaedic Foundation so we can reach our educational and research goals for the orthopaedic community and for the citizens of Texas in 2008.

Thank you,
Bill Schreiber, MD

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Thank You To Texas Orthopaedic Foundation Donors!
  

To fund its programs, the Texas Orthopaedic Foundation will depend on contributions from the orthopaedic community, other caring individuals and our friends of orthopaedics in business. Your contributions will be dedicated to orthopaedic research and education in Texas.

By making a donation to the Texas Orthopaedic Foundation, you will become a member of the Board of Trustees. The Foundation’s website and meeting exhibit will list you as a donor Trustee, unless you wish to remain anonymous. Memorial or tribute gifts will list both donor and the person named for tribute.

While we encourage your donations and annual gifting at any point in the future, by giving $1,000 or more during 2008, you will become a member of the TOF Founders’ Circle. Please donate today and become a founding member of the Texas Orthopaedic Foundation.

There are many benefits to supporting the Texas Orthopaedic Foundation. By donating to the Foundation you will be able to:

  • Support orthopaedic continuing medical education and research

  • Support orthopaedic residents and their Texas training programs

  • Give a gift that will remain in Texas

  • Receive an income tax deduction; reduce capital gains tax or estate taxes

  • Help the Texas Orthopaedic Foundation develop clinical treatment guidelines

  • Facilitate public education of orthopaedic surgery and orthopaedic treatment.

If your gift is intended as a memorial or tribute, please indicate such on your contribution form. The Foundation’s first Memorial pledge was in honor of Albert Tisdale, MD. Many of you may remember Dr. Tisdale as the “TOA Photographer/Historian.” He faithfully attended and photographed the TOA annual meetings and the past presidents breakfasts. Dr. Tisdale was also a former president of TOA from Austin.

Thank You, Donors!

The Texas Orthopaedic Foundation
gratefully acknowledges their contributors.
Donations received from April 14, 2008

In Memory Of:

Albert Tisdale, MD, Austin
donation by the Clements Family

Robert Hyde, MD, Amarillo
donation by Dr. & Mrs. Richard F. McKay

Richard Eppright, MD, Houston
donation by Jorge Tjimes, MD

David Beal, DDS, Killeen
donation by Terry Beal, MD

Hugh S. Tullos, MD, Houston
donation by James Bocell, MD

Michael Marshall, MD, Lubbock
by Drs. Cynthia and Stephen Norwood

 

In Honor Of:

Texas Orthopaedic Association Past Presidents
 donation by Texas Orthopaedic Association

Richard J. Haynes, MD, Houston
donation by Howard Epps, MD

Dr. & Mrs. Kaye E. Wilkins
donation by Susan & Patrick M. Palmer, MD

Azalea Orthopedics
 donation by Tony Wahl, Texas Spine & Joint Hospital

Jerry Julian, MD, Austin
donation by Mary and Joseph Abell, MD

Tim Lowry, MD, Austin
donation by Mary and Joseph abell, MD
 

Individual Donors:

Fred Corley, MD
 John Early, MD
Marc DeHart, MD
Stacy and Brannan Smoot, MD
Edward Seade, MD
 Patricia and Andrew Kant, MD
 Barbara and Bill Schreiber, MD
 Elizabeth and Subram Gopalkrishnan, MD
Kay and Thomas O. Clanton, MD
 G. W. Cox, MD
Kelly Carmichael, MD
Jay Mabrey, MD
Omer Ilahi, MD
David Teuscher, MD
Timothy Beck, MD
Stephen L. Wilson, MD

Jane and Jack Henry, MD
 Pledged David Mansfield, MD
Pledged Bob Kramer, MD
Pledged Lou and Bud Kennedy, MD
Pledged LaNyce and Archie Whittemore, MD


Friend of Orthopaedics Founders Circle:

Wright Medical
Cary Edgar, Ancillary Care Solutions
Todd Mackenzie, Remington Medical Resort
 Pledged Don Chow, TMLT

 

Denotes Founders Circle Member

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Congress Overrides Medicare Veto
 

Within hours of a presidential veto, both houses of the U.S. Congress voted to override the president’s veto of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, averting a 10.6 percent reduction in Medicare physician reimbursement that had gone into effect on July 1. However, H.R. 6331 will result in a cut of more than 20 percent to Medicare physician payments on January 1, 2010. As noted in Tuesday's issue of AAOS Advocacy Now, the measure contains certain provisions

that negatively affect orthopaedics. View the bill provisions and AAOS position by clicking here.

According to information released by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), physicians and other providers should begin to receive payment at the 0.5 percent update rates in approximately 10 business days, or less. In the meantime, in order to avoid a disruption to claims payments, Medicare contractors will continue to process the claims that have been on hold on a rolling basis (first in/first out) for payment at the -10.6 percent update level. After local contractors begin to pay claims at the new 0.5 percent rate, to the extent possible, they will automatically reprocess any claims paid at the lower rates.  Click here to read more.
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