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What is Orthopaedics?
Orthopaedics is a medical specialty focusing on the diagnosis, care and treatment of patients with disorders of the bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves and skin. These elements make up the musculoskeletal system. The physicians who specialize in this area are called orthopaedic surgeons or orthopaedists.
Orthopaedists are involved in all aspects of health care pertaining to the musuloskeletal system. They use medical, physical and rehabilitative methods as well as surgery. Typically, as much as 50 percent of the orthopaedist's practice is devoted to non-surgical or medical management of injuries or disease and 50 percent to surgical management. Surgery may be needed to restore function lost as a result of injury or disease of bones, joint, muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves or skin.
The orthopaedist also works closely with other health care professionals and often serves as a consultant to other physicians. Orthopaedists play an important role in the organization and delivery of emergency care. They are members of the teams which manage complex, multi-system trauma.
Learn more about orthopaedic medicine and orthopaedic surgery.
Learn more about the U.S. Bone and Joint Decade.
POS Named Society of the Year
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons named the Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Society its Society of the Year.
Watch our 50th Anniversary Video to see why!
Since its formation in 1956, POS has had one goal, succinctly stated by its first President, Richard White, M.D., in his invitational letter, "It is desired to bring up and discuss current problems which one meets in every day practice of orthopaedic surgery." It is simple, yet it encompasses everything the Society strives to achieve today, 50 years later. At some points in our history, these current problems involved new clinical methods and techniques to ensure patient safety, while other times these problems dealt with medical liability or maintaining residents in our state. The greatest asset of this organization is and always has been creating a forum where like-minded individuals can come together to solve these issues and work through these crises.
Watch our 50th Anniversary Video
Check out the POS timeline
Read the history of the Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Society.
Capitol Clips 4/18/2008
Current law vs. SB 1137
Under current law, POS members are facing:
~ a $250,000 increase in primary medical liability insurance level on January 1, 2010;
~ Another $250,000 increase in primary medical liability insurance level on January 1, 2013;
~ The burden of retiring the Mcare Fund's estimated $1.8 tail through continued physicians assessments well beyond 2013; and
~ No Mcare Abatement.
POS previously estimated that each $250,000 step will impose at least a 25% increase in liability insurance costs. Therefore, under current law primary liabiliy insurance levels-insurance from the private market-will be $1 million by 2013. And given the current stalemate in the General Assembly, abatement may no longer be available for any portion of medical liability insurance.
In addition, under current law the Mcare Fund’s unfunded liability – which is currently estimated at $1.8 billion – will be paid by continued assessments on physicians.
SB 1137
As passed by the House, SB 1137 provides:
~ 100% Mcare Abatement for ten years;
~ Phases out the Mcare Insurance level over that ten year period in $50,000 increments (costing approximately 5% per year);
~ Dedicates state tax revenue to retire the Mcare Fund; and
~ Creates a scaled down healthcare insurance program know as PA ABC which will provide coverage for approximately 272,000 Pennsylvania residents.
POS Advocacy Points
POS believes SB 1137 needs further modification to:
1. Guarantee state revenues are committed to provide abatement as well as annual Mcare Fund obligations (claims and operating expenses) before other programs receive funding;
2. Guarantee that state revenues in number one above are committed into the future until the Mcare Fund is completely retired; and,
3. Require healthcare insurance contractors compensate PA ABC participating physicians at fair and reasonable reimbursement rates.
We also believe the legislation should be modified to ensure that healthcare insurance contractors be required to pay claims timely in accordance with industry standards; and that physicians actually receive any required co-payments from PA ABC enrollees.
Highmark/IBC Merger Legislation
Senate Banking and Insurance Committee Chairman Don White (R. Indiana) introduced SB 1304 on April 9th. The bill is designed to expand the Attorney General’s and the Insurance Department’s authority to regulate Blue Cross and Blue Shield plan mergers, to authorize statewide competition among Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans, and to establish in law the Community Health Reinvestment Program that Governor Rendell negotiated with the Blue Plans in 2003. The Senate is scheduled to consider the legislative during the week of April 28th.
