4 stories this morning, for surgeons and the people who support them.
- CMS 2027 proposed rule — a fourth straight year of downward pressure, comments close Sept 14 — Conversion factor proposed down ~1.68% (non-QP) / ~1.19% (QP) as the one-year 2.5% CY2026 bump expires. Separately, CMS proposes paying remaining services at 50% when a separately identifiable E/M visit occurs same-day as a 0/10/90-day global procedure by the same physician or group. Comment period closes 2026-09-14. Source
- WISeR brings AI-assisted prior authorization to fee-for-service Medicare in six states — Live since 2026-01-01 in AZ, NJ, OH, OK, TX, WA; authorized through end of 2031. Covers knee arthroscopy for OA, nerve stimulator implants, skin substitutes, and spine/pain services. Third-party vendors run AI/ML screening alongside human review; a licensed clinician must sign every denial. Source
- Medtronic's Stealth AXiS clears FDA as an integrated planning + navigation + robotics platform — Cleared for spine; architecture intended to extend to cranial and ENT applications pending separate clearances. Source
- Spineart's Baguera C cervical disc approved for one and two contiguous levels — Becomes roughly the fifth cervical disc cleared for two contiguous levels in the US, behind Mobi-C (2013), Prestige LP (2016), Simplify (2021) and prodisc C SK/Vivo. Source
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Narration is synthesized. Reporting and editorial judgement are ours, and every story above links to its source.