Here are six important points for spine surgeons on how the government shutdown could impact their practices.
1. Medicare will continue to reimburse providers in the short term, according to a report from HHS. However, if the shutdown continues long term, meaning the debt ceiling does not raise by Oct. 17, likely Medicare payments will stop, people would be unable to cash Social Security checks and veterans affairs benefits would be interrupted.
2. Health insurance exchanges still opened today and began enrolling consumers, according to a report from The Advisory Board Company.
3. The FDA will halt safety activities such as routine establishment inspections, some compliance enforcement and a majority of lab research to inform public health decision making, according to the HHS report.
4. The National Institutes of Health will continue patient care for current patients, but will not accept new patients. NIH will also stop answering hotline calls with medical prevention.
5. Small business loans will not be processed, according to a Podiatry Today report.
6. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality will continue ongoing projects funded by the Paitent-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund as well as CMS-funded work related to the measure development for the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, accoding to the HHS report. The AHRQ will not fund new grants and contracts related to health service research initatives during the shutdown and data collections and modifications to the household survey of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey are halted.
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