On December 23, ISASS submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to the final 2016 Hospital Outpatient and ASC rule. The letter expresses support for the addition of four spine procedures to the list of ASC covered surgical procedures: CPT® 0171T CPT® 0172T CPT® 63046 CPT® 63055...

ISASS Policy Statement – Minimally Invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion (December 2015) Updated December 4, 2015 (This supplements the ISASS Policy Statement – Minimally Invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion (2014)) Morgan P. Lorio, MD, FACS Neuro-Spine Solutions, Bristol, TN A PDF version of the policy statement is available here. Introduction The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) is a cause...

News and noteworthy information for November: CPT® Editorial Summary of Panel Actions 2016 Final Physician Fee Schedule 2016 Hospital Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgical Center Final Rule AMA Urges DOJ to Block Proposed Insurance Mergers Antitrust In Medicine National Association of Insurance Commissioners Urges Broader Health Networks New Chairmen for House Ways and Means Committee and...

ISASS attended the AMA House of Delegates (HOD) Interim Meeting on November 14-18 in Atlanta. The business of the Interim HOD meeting is focused on advocacy and legislative issues. For purposes of the Interim Meeting, advocacy is defined as “Active use of communication and influence with public and private sector entities responsible for making decisions...