ISASS’s Morgan Lorio, MD, president-elect, discusses the obstacles to adopting emerging technologies in spine surgery and the importance of advocating for policy changes to support innovative treatments and improve patient outcomes in an interview with SmartTRAK.
Key topics discussed include ISASS’s successful efforts in addressing coding and reimbursement challenges to ensure access to innovative treatments for patients, the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on reimbursement, the new ICD-10 codes for discogenic pain, regenerative spine treatments, future directions and initiatives for ISASS and fostering collaboration between industry stakeholders and surgeon societies.
KJ: Good morning, Dr. Lorio. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to do this interview with SmartTRAK, especially as the ISSAS meeting gets underway in Miami. For those who don't know you, please give us a quick background on where you're from, where you trained and how long you've been a member of the ISASS society.
Dr Lorio (ML): I am an orthopedic spinal and hand surgeon with over thirty years of experience. I've been actively engaged with ISASS since its inception, and as we approach our 25th anniversary, I'm proud to have contributed to our journey during our 24th year. My involvement with the Coding and Reimbursement Task Force dates back to 2012. Over the years, I was also assimilated within the ISASS Executive Board, and I am honored to be assuming the role of president this year (2024-2025) following Dr. Mike Wang's tenure. My contributions extend to various areas, including CPT, RUC, NCCI edits, CMS, OMB, and MACRA*. I look forward to continuing ISASS's collective efforts to advance our spine field and serve our spine community.
*Current Procedural Terminology (CPT); Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC); Medicare National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) Edits; Office of Budget and Management (OMB); Medicare Access & CHIP Reauthorization Act of 20125 (MACRA).
Your recent article in the International Journal of Spine Surgery, “Navigating the Future of Spine Surgery: A Surgeon’s Reflection on Coding, Reimbursement and Emerging Technologies,” is a summation of your passion for the last at least 12 years since you've been heading up the Reimbursement and Coding Task Force. From your perspective, in what areas has ISASS been the most successful in advancing patient care, especially regarding access to new and maybe more disruptive technologies?
ML: I believe the most impactful technological disruption ISASS has effectively managed has been in ....
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