Published 7/28/2026
At a Glance
- Orthopaedic Advocacy Week focuses attention on prior authorization reform, Medicare Advantage oversight, and physician payment policy.
- Federal legislation seeks to prevent retroactive coverage denials and delay Medicare payment reductions affecting surgical specialties.
- Collective advocacy helps ensure orthopaedic surgeons have a voice in healthcare policies that affect patient access and practice viability.
Estimated read time: 3 minutes
Last year, AAOS celebrated the fifth annual Orthopaedic Advocacy Week with three days of virtual collective action in support of the orthopaedic profession. AAOS members sent nearly 1,500 letters to lawmakers and regulatory agencies about policies affecting orthopaedic practices and patients, including prior authorization and physician payment reform.
AAOS is excited to build on this progress as Orthopaedic Advocacy Week (Aug. 3-6) approaches. The first half of 2026 has been busy with new federal and state regulations and legislation affecting musculoskeletal care, including the following:
The Efficiency Adjustment Delay Act (H.R. 7520)
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule included a 2.5% reduction to procedural work relative value units (RVUs). This reduction took effect on Jan. 1 and will be renewed every three years. This cut harms both private practice surgeons and those with employment contracts tied to total or work RVUs, and it threatens patient access to timely musculoskeletal care.
- Reps. Ron Estes (R-KS) and Tom Suozzi (D-NY) introduced bipartisan legislation, the Efficiency Adjustment Delay Act (H.R. 7520), to pause implementation of the 2.5% adjustment and require a study of surgical efficiency and the real-world impacts of this policy before it is implemented.
The Medicare Advantage Improvement Act (H.R. 8735/S. 4384)
- Rep. John Joyce, MD (R-PA) and Rep. Kim Schrier, MD (D-WA) have introduced the Medical Advantage Improvement Act (H.R. 8375), which would strengthen the Medicare Advantage (MA) program to protect healthcare for seniors.
- Key provisions of the bill would protect patients from unnecessary delays and denials, standardize coverage criteria, penalize MA plans that fail to meet oversight benchmarks, reduce administrative burdens through real-time automated systems, and increase patient access to post-acute care providers.
Looking ahead to Orthopaedic Advocacy Week 2026
Advocating on behalf of the orthopaedic profession is an ongoing process that can take place anywhere — at home on the weekends, between patients, in local communities, or on Capitol Hill. While each orthopaedic surgeon’s voice matters, there is strength in numbers. Orthopaedic Advocacy Week provides a unique opportunity to virtually come together as a profession and fight for policy reform.
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Orthopaedic Advocacy Week acts as a critical piece of the advocacy puzzle by building strength in numbers. When hundreds of orthopaedic surgeons contact a legislator or regulatory body with aligned recommendations, these concerns are transformed into a recognized stakeholder issue. To ensure these changes reach local communities, AAOS has also introduced a day devoted entirely to state policy for the first time in Orthopaedic Advocacy Week history.
As noted by AAOS Advocacy Council Chair Joel Mayerson, MD, FAAOS, “Each orthopaedic surgeon’s voice matters. By sharing our stories this Orthopaedic Advocacy Week, we can shine a light on the issues facing our profession, practices, and patients at large. I encourage every AAOS member to take part and keep orthopaedic surgeons at the table where important healthcare decisions are made.”
Learn more about Orthopaedic Advocacy Week and sign up for updates.