2 stories this morning, for surgeons and the people who support them.
- Comment period closes on CMS's 2027 outpatient/ASC payment rule — pay the building more, the surgeon less — Public comments on CMS's CY2027 Hospital Outpatient/ASC proposed rule (CMS-1850-P) closed Aug 31, 2026. As proposed it raises the ASC conversion factor 2.4% while continuing to shift procedures off the inpatient-only list onto the ASC-approved list. The companion physician fee schedule proposal (separate comment window, closes Sept 14) cuts surgical work 1.68% overall with an additional 7% revaluation aimed at orthopedic codes, which drew AAOS opposition in July. Final rules typically land in early November. Source
- Smith+Nephew's EVOS Pelvic and Acetabular System gets its first case, at Tampa General — Announced Aug 28: Dr. Hassan Mir, a co-designer of the system, performed the first case at Tampa General/Florida Orthopaedic Institute. The plate-and-screw system for pelvic and acetabular fractures was FDA-cleared in February 2025; it enters a trauma fixation market DePuy Synthes leads with roughly a quarter share, ahead of Stryker and Zimmer Biomet. Source
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Narration is synthesized. Reporting and editorial judgement are ours, and every story above links to its source.