News
Why some orthopedic surgeons now earn more under bundled payments
10+ hour, 50+ min ago (1625+ words) For years, many orthopedic surgeons viewed bundled payments as a concession. Accept a fixed price. Take on more risk. Hope that the math works. Brian Curtin, MD, now believes many surgeons understood the model backward. "I make more now on…...
The payer strategy question orthopedic groups avoid
1+ week, 1+ day ago (605+ words) Most spine and orthopedic practices treat network participation as a prerequisite for building volume, staying busy and keeping the lights on. But Anthony Maioriello, MD, challenged that assumption at Becker's Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC + The Future of Spine…...
Dr. Alex Vaccaro: Turning payers into allies
4+ mon, 5+ day ago (875+ words) In healthcare, partnerships between insurers and physicians are often announced with optimism and framed as transformative, yet many fail to achieve sustained alignment due to competing incentives. In 2024, Independence Blue Cross and Philadelphia-based Rothman Orthopaedic Institute extended their value-based care…...
Smith+Nephew to pay $350 K to settle 401(k) fees lawsuit
4+ mon, 6+ day ago (195+ words) Smith+Nephew has agreed to settle a potential class-action lawsuit regarding the managed account fees for its 401(k) plans." In an amendment complaint, the plaintiffs alleged that Smith+Nephew improperly utilized forfeited 401(k) plan assets, paid unreasonable compensation for plan's planning and…...
Expired ACA subsidies could have 'noticeable impact' on spine
6+ mon, 1+ week ago (654+ words) Spine surgeons are bracing for a shift after Democratic proposal and a Republican alternative addressing ACA subsidies recently failed to pass a Senate vote. Senate Democrats advocated for a three-year ACA tax credit extension, and Republicans" alternative focused on health…...
HSS, Emblem Health reach PPO plan agreement
6+ mon, 1+ week ago (162+ words) New York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery has entered into a new agreement with Emblem Health." With the New York City Employees PPO health plan set to go live Jan. 1, the agreement will allow eligible employees to receive care at…...
Aetna to pay $55 K to some spine patients in settlement
8+ mon, 2+ week ago (294+ words) Some Aetna members who had lumbar disc replacement coverage denied could be entitled to up to $55, 000 after the insurer reached a settlement in a yearslong class-action case, according to court documents filed Oct. 8. The settlement stems from a 2019 lawsuit that…...
Orthopedic surgeons top physician pay, but declines show strain
9+ mon, 1+ day ago (417+ words) At an average of $543, 000 per year, orthopedic surgeons lead the physician pay scale in 2025 " but pay fell 3% year over year, signaling the specialty's longheld lead may be beginning to recede." A key factor is Medicare's 2. 83% physician fee schedule cut for…...
Montecito Medical acquires Rhode Island orthopedic facility
10+ mon, 2+ week ago (183+ words) Healthcare real estate company Montecito Medical has acquired an orthopedic medical office building and surgery center in Warwick, R. I. The 67, 186-square-foot center is leased to Ortho Rhode Island, a physician-owned orthopedic practice, and Spire Orthopedics, the largest orthopedic platform in the…...
Spine surgeons react to CMS' proposed 3. 6% pay bump
11+ mon, 1+ week ago (525+ words) CMS is floating changes to the physician fee schedule for 2026, including two separate conversion factors and a 3. 6% increase in physician pay. The July 14 proposal includes a conversion factor for qualifying alternative payment model participants and another for non-QPs. The QP…...