2021 CT Legislative News
COS Advocating for Orthopaedic Surgeons & Patients
The 2021 session of the CT Legislature is well underway with bills introduced, Committee meetings and public hearings in full swing. Despite the continued closure of the Legislative Office Building, COS and their lobbyists from Focus Government Affairs, have been meeting with legislators and Committees and providing testimony during public hearings via Zoom and other remote communication.
Last month, the COS submitted written testimony to the Human Services Committee requesting amendments to the language to clarify that while authorizing physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses to issue order for home health services, they must still practice within and according to their respective scope of practices. READ TESTIMONY OF MICHAEL ARONOW, MD, COS PRESIDENT
The COS was also represented during the Insurance Committee’s public hearing and presented testimony opposing reimbursement parity for podiatrists. This bill would have mandated that commercial insurers reimburse podiatrists at the same rate as physicians, a claim that had no data to support they were not being paid at the same rate. During the public testimony the podiatrists were focused more on expanded their scope than the actual bill language. The COS opposed this bill noting this was a contractual matter and not a legislative matter. READ TESTIMONY OF MICHAEL ARONOW, MD, COS PRESIDENT
The proactive, patient centered advocacy we will be working toward this legislative session includes reforms to the High Deductible Health Plans to ensure that the collection of payment is done by the insurer and does not interfere with Physician Patient Relationship, prohibiting drug formulary changes mid policy contract, telehealth reimbursement parity, prior authorization reforms, all scope expansion and much more. In addition, we will seek to collaborate and augment the legislative work of our State and Specialty organizations.
The COS advocates for meaningful legislative change to benefit patients and the practice of orthopaedic surgery.
Our actions are expertly guided by COS lobbyists, however we need the collective voice of Connecticut's orthopaedic community to help deliver strong messages to the Legislature. Throughout the session, we will be reaching out to the membership with grassroots alerts. Please answer the call to action and add your voice to debate. Thank you for your continued involvement and support of the Society, your colleagues and patients.
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COS and Anthem Issue
Anthem - Extensive Prior Auth Wait Times & Issues with AIM
The Connecticut Orthopaedic Society has been working to address the concerns of its members and their practice staff regarding the recent dramatic increases in prior authorization wait times with Anthem.
Society representatives provided Anthem with specific data from their members related to the significant and unacceptable wait times to obtain procedural prior authorizations and online prior authorizations through AIM.
Anthem has indicated that there was a technological issue that created the long delays and wait times and they had resolved the issue and expected prior authorization and AIM processing to return to normal wait times.
After several weeks from the initial discussion with Anthem representatives, wait times continue to be unacceptable, Peer to Peer reviews are difficult to obtain and some are reporting another issue with AIM deny authorization of certain codes that according to Anthem are approved per the physician contract with Anthem.
As your Society continues to work on this matter, we would appreciate any data you may have specific to your practice and wait times with Anthem including AIM. Please feel free to email COS with your practice name and the information. Additional data will assist us in future discussion with Anthem
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Announcing the
COS
2021 Annual Meeting
Friday - October 29, 2021
In an effort to conduct the Society’s 2021 Annual Meeting in person and within a safer environment while allowing time for the COVID-19 vaccination distribution to reach a wider population, the COS Board has decided to move the meeting date to Friday, October 29, 2021 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Farmington Marriott.
Thanks to the leadership and dedication of COS Program Director, Dr. Michael Kaplan, plans are underway for another great CME accredited Annual Meeting program. Details and meeting agenda will be forwarded to the membership as they become available. Remember, all current COS dues paying members (for 2021) attend at no additional cost. If you have not yet renewed for 2021, please visit the COS website for easy online payment and to update your new directory profile.
The Society is looking forward to offering members an opportunity to gather and learn together again, better, and stronger. Look forward to seeing you in the Fall. Thank you for your ongoing support and membership participation in the Society.
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Renew Your 2021 COS Membership
Your participation and renewal is vital to the work of the COS; supporting the profession, the practice and patients.
While this has been a challenging time for our profession and critical time for the health of our State, the Connecticut Orthopaedic Society continues to advocate, inform, and support the orthopaedic community.
The COS is your strongest ally and the only statewide association committed to effecting positive change for the orthopaedic community and patients while delivering value to members with the low annual membership fee of $295.00.
We have much more work ahead to be done. Your ongoing involvement and dues renewal for 2021 is critical to the Society and vital to the advocacy, programs and representation by COS for the entire orthopaedic community – private practice, hospital and academic employed. Now more than ever, your membership support is needed.
The Society looks forward to serving, representing, and assisting the orthopaedic community and patients in 2021. Be sure to save the date for the 2021 COS Annual Meeting, scheduled for October 29, 2021, in Farmington, CT, when we plan to gather together again for another great program developed by Michael Kaplan, MD, Meeting Program Director.
Please Renew Your COS Membership for 2021. Three Easy Ways to Pay.
Pay online and update your new directory profile.
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Credit Card Online www.ctortho.org
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Complete the form and enclose it with a check payable to the CT Orthopaedic Society.
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Arrange for convenient group billing, please call the COS at 860-690-1146, or email your request to ctorthoexec@gmail.com.
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Visit the New COS Website
Update Your "Find a Surgeon" Profile
The COS is pleased to launch the newly revised COS website.
Visit www.ctortho.org today for timely updates, membership renewal and directory of surgeons* and be sure to update your profile. Any questions, comments, concerns, please contact Susan Schaffman.
*Please note that this area of the website is for current members (2020 dues paid) of the Connecticut Orthopaedic Society. Once logged in, members will have the ability to request a password and manage their directory listing on our “Find a Surgeon” page and to renew your membership. If you wish to join/renew, you can do so online and create your profile.
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