🦴 What Are Orthopedic Surgeons Prioritizing in Value-Based Care?

This week, I have the pleasure of speaking at the 9th Annual OVBC Conference, hosted by the American College of Perioperative Medicine.

Before I ever attended, I was always curious: Who is speaking — and what are they actually talking about?

If you’re a leader at a health plan, provider group, or employer organization, this content offers a glimpse into where orthopedics is heading—and what to prepare for in musculoskeletal (MSK) value-based care.

🔹 Day 1 Highlights: Thursday, April 3

1. Bundled Payments: Episode-Based vs. Conditional Traditional surgical bundles (e.g., CJR, BPCI) still dominate, but they’re not true value-based care if the surgery itself was avoidable. That’s where conditional bundles—focused on conditions like knee arthritis or back pain—come in. They align incentives for earlier, more holistic interventions, like behavioral health for MSK pain.

2. Contracting for VBC Dr. Kevin Bozic and others laid the policy foundation—now it’s time to implement. Key insights on gainsharing and VBC contract structure are also shared.

3. CMS-TEAM Model This upcoming mandatory Medicare initiative combines episode bundling with stronger primary care collaboration. Expect major operational shifts at selected hospitals.

🔹 Day 2 Highlights: Friday, April 4

1. Future of Ortho VBC Visionary sessions on stakeholder risk alignment, disruption in MSK care, and evolving approaches to complex cases in ASCs.

2. Innovation Across Stakeholders

• Custom implants: promising for complex anatomy, but value for routine care is unproven.
• GPOs: Many surgeons don’t know what they are—yet they shape purchasing decisions.
• Stakeholder collaboration is crucial.

3. Pain Management We’ve moved from “pain as the 5th vital sign” to non-opioid, non-pharma strategies—laser therapy, nerve blocks, etc.—with better results and lower risk.

4. Multi-Track Presentations Topics ranged from direct-to-employer (DTE) contracting and PROMs to PT transformation, sports medicine pathways, and supply chain strategies.

🔹 Day 3 Highlights: Saturday, April 5

1. “Grab Bag” Session Spine care, site-neutral payments, vendor contracts, and team-based MSK delivery models.

2. Final Multi-Track Notable topics:

• Primary care bundling
• Nurse roles in VBC
• Value-Based Enterprises
• Employed physician compensation
• Branding and physician influence

Final Thoughts

OVBC brings together a rare mix of payers, providers, and innovators to make value-based care real—not just theoretical. As a physician-led conference, the focus on delivery innovation is unmatched.

Next step? Ensuring health plans are ready to partner in scaling these proven MSK VBC models.

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