AAOS Member Resources for COVID-19

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) is hosting live webinars (most recently on Thursday, April 9 at 9:00 p.m. (EDT)), to provide a COVID-19 update and enable members to ask questions. You can register for the webinar here.

In addition, the Academy has developed a resource center that is specific to orthopedics.

AAOS COVID-19 Member Resource Center

On April 6, 2020, Joseph Bosco, M.D., the new AAOS president wrote, “These are unprecedented times and call for unprecedented actions.” He added that the Academy has temporarily pivoted off its strategic plan and is devoting nearly 100% of efforts “to mitigate the ill effects” of the pandemic on surgeon practices and patients.

At the heart of the Academy’s efforts is the AAOS COVID-19 Member Resource Center. The resource center has the latest information on advocacy efforts and regulatory changes as well as detailed instructions on how to apply for support through the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Additionally, the resource center contains Academy guidelines for distinguishing elective from non-elective surgery and links to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and other governmental sites. It is updated daily and is a “go to” resource for COVID-19 information for surgeons and providers.

Here are some of the resources available on the site:

• AAOS COVID-19 Coding Guide
• AAOS Guide on SBA loans in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
• AAOS Telemedicine Policy Tracker
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Interim COVID-19 Guidance
• COVID-19 Emergency Declaration CMS Fact Sheet

Bosco says the Academy has been successful in easing the regulatory burden and constraints of many federal government rules and programs. For example:

• HIPAA rules relaxation for “Good faith efforts to provide telehealth”
• Delaying 2019 Merit-based Incentive Payment System reporting
• Implementing Good Samaritan protection for COVID-19 volunteers
• Allowing expansion of physician-owned hospitals
• Suspension of the 2% Medicare cuts

The Academy is “working literally seven days a week,” said Bosco, to understand the $2.2 trillion 2020 CARES Act to make sure surgeons get the tools they deserve to survive the pandemic.

Bosco concluded that we have not faced a crisis like this since WWII. “Many of our colleagues are being ‘repurposed’ and volunteering in their hospitals either on the wards or in the ER. I have faith that each of us will contribute in whatever way we can or have to. There is work and sacrifice to be made and our profession has a rich history of selflessness in the face of adversity.”

AMA and NEJM Resources

There are additional resources available to help you keep your practice financially viable during the pandemic. Last week OTW published 14 tips from the American Medical Association. (https://ryortho.com/2020/04/14-vital-tips-to-keep-your-practice-solvent-despite-covid-19/).

The AMA and the New England Journal of Medicine also offered their resource centers.