4 stories this morning, for surgeons and the people who support them.
- AMA and more than 150 organizations ask CMS to withdraw the modifier-25 payment cut before the September 14 comment deadline — Reported in the AMA's Sept 4, 2026 National Advocacy Update: the AMA led a sign-on letter of more than 150 organizations urging CMS to withdraw its CY2027 Physician Fee Schedule proposal to reduce payment by 50% when an office/outpatient E/M service with modifier -25 is furnished the same day as a procedure; the Federation argued CMS failed to substantiate the policy and that the reduction would fall hardest on independent practices. The AMA also cited that physician payment rose about 7% between 2001 and 2026 while practice costs rose 59%. Mechanics and second source: the CY2027 PFS proposed rule (CMS-1848-P) published July 14, 2026 pays the single highest-priced service furnished that day at 100% and every other service that day - additional procedures or the E/M itself - at 50%, applying to procedures with 0-, 10- and 90-day global periods; CMS's own impact discussion flags otolaryngology, dermatology, podiatry and, to a lesser degree, hand surgery, physician assistants and colon and rectal surgery. Comment period closes September 14, 2026; final rule expected November 2026, effective January 1, 2027. Second sources: https://www.cokergroup.com/insights/cms-2027-modifier-25-payment-cuts and https://www.hklaw.com/en/insights/publications/2026/07/cms-issues-cy-2027-medicare-physician-fee-schedule-proposed-rule Source
- AMA backs site-neutral imaging in the CY2027 outpatient rule but objects to $260M leaving Part B with nothing coming back — Also in the AMA's Sept 4, 2026 advocacy update: on the CY2027 OPPS/ASC proposed rule (CMS-1850-P, issued July 2, 2026), the AMA said payment policies that pay differently for the same service based on site-of-service or ownership disadvantage independent physician practices, encourage their acquisition by hospitals and health systems, and raise costs. It gave qualified support to site-neutral payment for imaging but objected to removing roughly $260 million from Medicare without reinvestment into Part B services or the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule; supported evidence-based removal of items from the Inpatient Only list; opposed expanding prior authorization to botulinum toxin codes absent utilization evidence; and urged that hospital price transparency make prices genuinely comparable across settings and disclose clearly when a separate, additive facility fee applies, while not extending the mandates to physician practices. Rule context and second source: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/calendar-year-2027-hospital-outpatient-prospective-payment-system-opps-ambulatory-surgical-center and https://www.hklaw.com/en/insights/publications/2026/07/cms-issues-sweeping-cy-2027-hospital-opps Source
- Kinomatic launches Kinect, an implant-independent planning platform whose real product is the joint-replacement data lake underneath it — Announced Sept 3, 2026: Arroyo Grande, California-based Kinomatic launched Kinect, a web platform unifying surgical planning, case management and surgeon collaboration for knee and hip arthroplasty, with automated QA and peer review built in. Kinect centralizes case data - CT scans, segmentation and planning files - into a structured data lake the company says is already training its own AI segmentation models, with AI-assisted planning as the stated roadmap. Kinomatic sells preoperative planning and concierge recovery services rather than implants, and recently ran a recovery pilot called RESTORE with WHOOP; it closed a $4M seed round in June 2026 led by Waterline Ventures. Quotes from Keith Grafmeyer (head of product) and Dr. Wendy Wong (Golden State Orthopedic and Spine). Second sources: https://www.odtmag.com/breaking-news/kinomatic-debuts-platform-to-power-the-next-generation-of-ai-driven-orthopedic-surgical-care/ and https://www.surgicalroboticstechnology.com/news/kinomatic-announces-launch-of-kinect/ Source
- Globus Medical takes Excelsius3D into the EU and UK on a CE mark, five years after its FDA clearance — Announced Sept 3, 2026 and picked up Sept 4: Globus Medical received CE marking for the Excelsius3D imaging system, clearing commercial sale in the European Union and United Kingdom. Excelsius3D is a mobile 3-in-1 intraoperative platform combining 3D cone-beam CT, 2D fluoroscopy and digital radiography in one unit with omnidirectional wheels, and integrates with the ExcelsiusGPS robotic navigation system so imaging, registration and navigation run in one workflow; it is used in spine and cranial procedures. The system earned FDA 510(k) clearance in 2021, so the European launch trails the US install base by five years. Quotes from CEO Keith Pfeil and CTO Norbert Johnson. Competitive context: Globus enters a European mobile intraoperative imaging market where Medtronic's O-arm (now paired with the Stealth AXiS system cleared by FDA in February 2026) and Brainlab's Loop-X are established, and where Enovis's September 1 binding offer for eCential Robotics (EUR 155M enterprise value) is assembling another imaging-plus-robotics package. Second sources: https://www.massdevice.com/globus-medical-wins-ce-mark-for-excelsius3d-imaging-system/ and https://orthospinenews.com/2026/09/04/globus-medical-announces-ce-mark-for-excelsius3d-imaging-system/ Source
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