ISASS is an active participant in several AMA bodies through its seat on the AMA House of Delegates:

• AMA CPT Editorial Panel
• AMA/Multi-Specialty Relativity Update Committee (RUC)
• AMA Federal Advocacy and Policy Federation

It is through this activity that ISASS has been able to directly achieve many important outcomes that have benefited ISASS members.

Among these successes are the correction of the valuation of CPT 27279, Minimally Invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion in 2020, the work to correct the valuation of CPT 22867, Interlaminar Stabilization Distraction Device Insertion (Coflex Procedure), the definition of Endoscopic Decompression procedures at CPT, and the development of emerging spine surgery technology that are the foundation of ISASS’ commitment to new technology development.

Other critical issues pursued by ISASS in cooperation with the AMA and other stakeholders include:

• Advocating for meaningful provider network regulation: ISASS and the AMA are working tirelessly at the state and federal levels to enact “surprise billing” laws that ensure network adequacy rules are enforced and physicians are offered fair contracts.

• Protecting the value of spine surgical services: ISASS takes part in the AMA Relative Value Scale Update Committee, attesting to the value of physician services.

• Increasing access to innovative spine surgical services: ISASS takes part in the AMA CPT Editorial Panel which maintains the CPT code set used for procedural coding and through which we create new codes for new innovative services for our members.

• MACRA improvements: MACRA represents significant change to Medicare’s payment system— AMA and ISASS are helping physicians succeed in today’s MIPS environment.

• Prior authorization reform: The AMA and ISASS continue to advocate for prior authorization reforms that will prevent harmful patient care delays and relieve practice administrative burdens.

ISASS is committed to continuing to actively advocate for policies and legislation for spine surgeons and ISASS members. In order to do that, it is critical that ISASS maintain our seats in these AMA bodies.  Those bodies are available only to specialty societies with active seats in the AMA House of Delegates, and those seats are allocated based on the number of a specialty society’s membership with active AMA memberships. ISASS’ membership numbers are being reviewed in 2020, and ISASS is partnering with the AMA to increase our membership numbers so that the society can keep its seat.

I urge you to renew or initiate an AMA membership through the following link, ama-assn.org/join-renew and help us, and all of medicine continue to shape health policy throughout the world.

Thank you,

Morgan Lorio, MD
Chair, ISASS Coding and Reimbursement Task Force