Impacting policy change for orthopaedic trauma

Traumatic injury, which remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 1 to 44 years, costs the United States over $400 billion because of loss of productivity and medical services each year. Yet, over the last few decades, there has been decreased funding for trauma centers. The 2010 Affordable Care Act is just the start of health care reform, and Congress will continue to create and change policies directly impacting medical care. In this article, we evaluate how orthopaedic trauma surgeons can have a lasting impact on the nation's health care policy through organizations and advocacy on the local, state, and federal levels.