In late June, President Donald Trump issued an executive order intended to lower costs and help patients make informed decisions by increasing price transparency in healthcare.
The decree elicited a cautiously optimistic response from the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, which provides musculoskeletal education to more than 38,000 orthopedic surgeons around the world.
Wilford Gibson, MD, chair of the AAOS Council on Advocacy, provided the following statement to Becker's Spine Review:
"AAOS is encouraged by the intent of the Executive Order, specifically the proposals to adopt standardized quality measures across federal health systems, align inpatient and outpatient measures, and address the issue of surprise billing while leading to greater choice and competition. We will be interested to see how these directives influence prospective regulatory changes and will be closely evaluating their potential impact on orthopaedic practice."
The executive order presents an opportunity to level the playing field between independent physicians and hospitals, according to Mara Holton, MD, a urologist with Annapolis, Md.-based Anne Arundel Medical Center and health policy committee vice chair of the Large Urology Group Practice Association, who spoke to Becker's ASC Review in early July.
However, Dr. Holton expects the hospital lobby to "vigorously" oppose the order, which directs HHS to draft rules requiring hospitals and insurance companies to disclose negotiated rates for healthcare services and inform patients of their financial responsibility prior to their procedures.
Want to share your thoughts on this topic? Email Angie Stewart at astewart@beckershealthcare.com.