CMS released its final 2027 outpatient prospective payment system and ASC rule Nov. 4, giving ASCs a 2.3% payment update and adding more than 600 procedures to the ASC covered procedures list. The changes take effect Jan. 1. Orthopedic and…
News
CMS released its final rule for the 2027 Medicare physician fee schedule Nov. 4, cutting the conversion factor 2.31% to $32.63 for most clinicians — deeper than the 1.68% cut the agency proposed in July. The final rule did scale…
CMS finalized its 2027 physician fee schedule Nov. 4, and spine and orthopedic surgeons got a mixed result. Medicare’s base payment rate falls more than CMS proposed in July. But the agency softened the two policies that drew the most…
CMS’ final 2027 outpatient rule gives ASCs a 2.3% raise. Not every spine and orthopedic center will feel it. Procedures that use implants, like joint replacements and spinal cord stimulators, will be reimbursed at higher rates. Pain procedures, like injections…
Alexios Apazidis, MD, a Deer Park, N.Y.-based spine surgeon, is now cooperating with the law firm that sued him in several racketeering cases, Newsday reported Oct. 22. Dr. Apazidis has been accused of filing dozens of nearly identical operative reports.…
Advertisement
A federal judge has ordered Unum Life Insurance Company of America to pay Dr. Nicholas Grosso $1,045,045.35 in lost long-term disability benefits, finding the insurer mishandled his claim. Senior U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett of the U.S. District Court…
The Court of Appeals of Georgia on Oct. 14 upheld the dismissal of a medical malpractice contribution lawsuit that Atlanta spine surgeon James Chappuis, MD, filed against Emory Healthcare and neurosurgeon Daniel Refai, MD. According to court documents obtained by…
Steam venting from a sterilizer relief valve prompted a Rocky Hill (Conn.) Fire Department response to a possible structure fire at Orthopedic Associates, on the night of Oct. 5. Firefighters were dispatched at 9:25 p.m, according to an Oct. Facebook…
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued Cincinnati-based Mercy Health, alleging the health system fired a Jewish orthopedic surgeon because of his religion and race shortly after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The lawsuit, filed Sept. 24,…
Tampa, Fla., spine surgeon David Siambanes, DO, 59, and Dawn Stone, RN, 53, an advanced practice nurse, died the morning of Sept. 3 in a plane crash near Tampa Executive Airport. Dr. Siambanes and Ms. Stone worked for BayCare at…