The new CMS orthopedic bundle will test every program's readiness
Thursday, August 27th, 2026 | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CT
A mandatory bundled payment model is arriving for orthopedic care, and under CJR-X, hospitals and health systems will be accountable for the total cost and quality of each episode — whether or not they are prepared.
Programs that misjudge their readiness risk absorbing the cost of avoidable variation, missed quality metrics and gaps they cannot see until performance data arrives. The original CJR model already showed how quickly episode costs add up, and CJR-X raises the stakes.
Leaders from AAHKS, Rothman Orthopaedics, and Vanderbilt Orthopaedics will break down the requirements, the financial and quality metrics that matter the most, and the critical learnings gained through the CJR experience to reduce costs and improve quality.
Learnings include:
- The CJR-X requirements, including the quality and financial metrics that directly impact performance
- The largest drivers of variation and episode costs, with insights from the original CJR model
- How leading orthopedic programs use patient engagement, data collection, standardization and process improvement to reduce costs while improving quality
Presenters:
P. Maxwell Courtney, MD
Chair of AAHKS Advocacy Committee
Division Chief of Adult Reconstruction at Rothman Orthopedics
Associate Professor, Orthopedic Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University
Stephen Engstrom, MD, MBA
AAHKS Advocacy Committee Member
Orthopedic Surgeon, Vanderbilt Orthopaedics
Assistant Professor, Division of Adult Reconstruction, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Moderator:
Bronwyn Spira PT, MPT
Founder & CEO, Force Therapeutics