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Physician Practice Advisor

Issue 52, December 28, 2005

• HHS says 21 million signed up for Part D

  More than 21 million senior citizens and people with disabilities are signed up so far for the...

• Law requires food labels to list allergens

  Food labels will soon have to disclose in plain language whether the products contain ingredients...

• Study finds med school faculty stressed, dissatisfied

  Stress among faculty members at U.S. medical schools has led to high levels of job dissatisfaction...

Issue 51, December 21, 2005

• House budget cuts Medicare spending

  The U.S. House of Representatives voted 212-206 on Monday to approve a budget bill that slows...

• Study finds slow start for P4P programs

  According to a study released last week by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC...

• Illinois governor pitches health insurance program in D.C.

  Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich was in Washington this week promoting his state’s new...

Issue 50, December 14, 2005

• UPMC receives NIH contract to create virtual immune system

  The National Institutes of Health has awarded a five-year, $9.1 million contract to the University...

• Patients turn to Internet first for health info

  U.S. patients are likely to seek health information from the Internet first, even though they trust...

• UHF ranks healthiest states

  The United Health Foundation once again named Minnesota the healthiest state in the nation when it...

Issue 49, December 7, 2005

• BCBS to open healthcare bank

  Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) will open a bank aimed at providing administrative and financial...

• Scrushy resigns, fights for back pay

  Richard M. Scrushy resigned as the HealthSouth director on Monday, citing his board’s refusal...

• IOM report supports national performance measures

  A new Institute of Medicine (IOM) report urged Congress to establish a system to measure and report...

Issue 48, November 30, 2005

• Families sue Florida Medicaid system

  Five families joined the Florida Pediatric Society and the Academy of Pediatric Dentistry in a...

• AMA backs conditions on insurance merger

  The American Medical Association (AMA) has urged Colorado to place conditions on the pending merger...

Issue 47, November 23, 2005

• Web site glitches prevent beneficiaries from getting Part D information

  Enrollment in Medicare's new drug benefit began on November 15 but technical glitches and high...

• Physicians take unfavorable view of Bush healthcare policies

  Physician support for President Bush, once strong, has plummeted in recent months, reports MP Stat.

• Doc wins discrimination suit against Las Vegas medical center

  A Las Vegas physician won a discrimination case against University Medical Center (UMC), taking...

Issue 46, November 16, 2005

• Survey: Doctors important to Part D decisions

  A recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health found that...

• Bill would guard against identity theft

  A new bill would eliminate the use of Social Security numbers as patient identifiers and remove...

• Some practices join forces to buy EMRs in bulk

  Intimidated by high start-up costs and unsure of how to choose a product, many physician practices...

Issue 45, November 9, 2005

• Physician executives give pay-for-performance mixed reviews

  Physician executives are unsure what to make of pay-for-performance (P4P) programs, according to...

• CMS reduces 2006 physician payment rate

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced a final rule that will reduce...

• Report: Part D premiums could be significantly higher depending on enrollment

  A high level of participation by beneficiaries with high expected drug spending could raise...

Issue 44, November 2, 2005

• CMS to collect quality data under new program

  On Friday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) established the Physician Voluntary...

• This year’s freshman class largest ever

  The entering 2005-2006 class was the largest ever for medical colleges, according to data released...

• OIG: Medicare reimbursing practices too much for cancer drugs

  In a letter and report sent to the Senate in September, Inspector General Daniel Levinson concluded...

Issue 43, October 26, 2005

• HHS fails to report malpractice claims from 1997 to 2004

  The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) failed to report to the National Practitioner...

• Florida to begin Medicaid overhaul demonstration

  Florida will overhaul its Medicaid program under a plan approved by the Department of Health and...

• CMS prescription drug tools available

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provided a new resource for physicians to learn...

Issue 42, October 19, 2005

• JAMA study: Pay-for-performance produces little gain for money spent

  A study published in the October 12 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) gives...

• HIMSS awards three practices for health information technology

  The Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) honored three physician practices for...

• Doctors tell Katrina stories in NEJM essays

  Doctors tell how they survived Hurricane Katrina in a series of essays published in the October 13...

Issue 41, October 12, 2005

• AMA Foundation to give grants to docs affected by hurricanes

  The American Medical Association (AMA) Foundation will offer grants to help physicians resurrect...

• Trend: Hospitals reselling EMRs to physician offices

  An increasing number of hospitals are offering their electronic medical records (EMRs) to physician...

• CMS steps up anti-fraud efforts in countdown to prescription drug coverage

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will use eight "Medicare Rx Integrity...

Issue 40, October 5, 2005

• CMS, AMA urge pay-for-performance

  The administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and an American Medical...

• Vermont agrees to federal Medicaid funding cap

  Vermont has agreed to accept federal Medicaid funding caps under Governor James Douglas' Global...

• Part D poll: Docs recommend going to pharmacists for enrollment information

  Eighty percent of physicians who were asked in a PPA survey two weeks ago about their initial...

Issue 39, September 28, 2005

• Poll: Many patients ignore doc recommendations

  A recent poll by the Wall Street Journal and Harris Interactive found that many patients neglect to...

• TelaDoc offers phone-doctoring

  A new company, Texas-based TelaDoc, connects patients to doctors for diagnoses and consultations...

• Many insurance companies offer online ratings for hospitals; doctors next

  Many insurance companies that provide online hospital ratings comparisons are now providing online...

Issue 38, September 21, 2005

• CMS releases evaluation version of Vista-Office

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an evaluation version of Vista-Office...

• Drug prices rising-GAO report

  An August report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that usual and customary...

• MGMA study: Practices adopting EHR at a slow rate

  A recent study by the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) found that only 14.1% of all...

Issue 37, September 14, 2005

• Free EHR software delayed

  The release of VistA-Office-free electronic health record (EHR) software available from the...

• Sports injuries second in injury-related medical expenses

  According to a Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) brief-Health Care Expenditures for...

Issue 36, September 6, 2005

• Survey: 2004 PCP compensation growth topped specialists

  The Physician Compensation and Production Survey: 2005 Report Based on 2004 Data, a new Medical...

• Survey: 2004 PCP compensation growth topped specialists

  The Physician Compensation and Production Survey: 2005 Report Based on 2004 Data, a new Medical...

• AMA coordinating Katrina relief efforts

  The American Medical Association (AMA) has contacted the Department of Health and Human Services to...

• AMA coordinating Katrina relief efforts

  The American Medical Association (AMA) has contacted the Department of Health and Human Services to...

• Study: Patient respect results in adherence to treatment

  A Johns Hopkins study of 5,514 Americans found that those who said they were treated with respect...

• Study: Patient respect results in adherence to treatment

  A Johns Hopkins study of 5,514 Americans found that those who said they were treated with respect...

Issue 35, August 31, 2005

• Proposed rule would give prior determinations of coverage

  A proposed rule published in the August 30 Federal Register would provide caregivers and patients...

• Illinois caps malpractice damages

  Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed legislation on August 25 limiting damages in malpractice suits...

Issue 34, August 24, 2005

• CMS offers guide to preventive care, screening

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on August 19 that the Guide to...

• Survey: Cuts will prompt CA physicians to not accept new Medicare patients

  A majority of California physicians surveyed said that they would not accept new Medicare patients...

• 2006 proposed rule includes nuclear medicine-Stark prohibition

  CMS' Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule for Calendar Year 2006...

Issue 33, August 17, 2005

• Survey: Med groups in the red despite compensation increases

  A survey report commissioned by the American Medical Group Association (AMGA) found that while...

• Concierge care not an access problem according to GAO

  Concierge care-the practice of charging patients a fee for enhanced services-has not negatively...

Issue 32, August 10, 2005

• Connecticut physicians sue Oxford Health

  Four Connecticut physicians are suing Oxford Health Plans, claiming that the company violated...

• AARP endorses pay-for-performance legislation

  The American Association for Retired Persons (AARP) has endorsed pay-for-performance legislation...

Issue 31, August 3, 2005

• Patient safety bill signed into law

  President Bush signed legislation on Friday to create an error reporting database that will be used...

• Malpractice suits may be limited

  A bill passed by the House of Representatives on Friday would limit non-economic and punitive...

Issue 30, July 27, 2005

• Medicare to offer doctors free EHR software

  Medicare is planning to offer doctors free EHR software, the New York Times reports.

• Study: Sub-par care, practice characteristics linked

  Physician and practice characteristics are linked to Medicare beneficiaries receiving services...

Issue 29, July 19, 2005

• Changes to your Medicare reimbursement formula

  New legislation could change the way that doctors are reimbursed by Medicare. In a letter to the...

• Are pharmaceutical freebies for doctors on the way out?

  A growing number of doctors and hospitals say that the free stuff associated with visits by...

Issue 28, July 13, 2005

• Pay-for-performance a success

  The Integrated Healthcare Association said late Tuesday that 225 California medical groups...

• Fear of lawsuits affects care, costs

  Fear of lawsuits affects the way physicians treat their cardiac patients and may ultimately drive...

Issue 27, July 6, 2005

• Organizations selected for Medicare's high medical costs project

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on July 1 the selection of six...

• Medicare hopes benefits checkable in real time by year's end

  A system is in the works that may allow physicians and practitioners to check a patient's...

Issue 26, June 29, 2005

• CMS presents new competitive acquisition program

  Physicians who administer drugs in their offices to Medicare beneficiaries will have the option of...

• Health IT may get $75 million

  Health IT may get a $75 million shot in the arm for 2006.

Issue 25, June 22, 2005

• Online consumer magazine rates health Web sites

  Health Web sites are rating and watching the medical field, but who is rating and watching them...

• Medical costs continue to outpace growth in wages

  Health spending by privately insured patients rose 8.2% in 2004, according to a report released...

Issue 24, June 15, 2005

• Physicians want to measure other docs on efficiency and performance

  Setting their sight on how to accurately measure physician efficiency and performance, 65 national...

• DOJ says it will limit HIPAA criminal prosecutions

  A new ruling by the Justice Department will limit the government's ability to prosecute criminal...

Issue 22, June 1, 2005

• Healthcare leaders say add incentives and save money

  How can you save money when it comes to healthcare costs? Add incentives, according to healthcare...

• Revenue up for orthopedic practices, but operating costs are even higher

  The total medical revenue grew for all orthopedic practices by 14.8% from 2001 to 2003; however...

Issue 21, May 25, 2005

• Medicare chief wants rewards for successful physicians

  The head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said physicians that help the...

• Judge rules doctors in Florida can sue HMOs; insurers fighting decision

  A state appeals court in Florida has ruled that providers can sue insurers over charges of reduced...

Issue 20, May 18, 2005

• Docs and patients view clinical trials differently

  Physicians don't view side effects as a decision-making barrier for patients considering...

• Female doctors more stressed than their male counterparts

  Nationwide, female docs work at least as hard as their male counterparts; however, they face more...

Issue 19, May 11, 2005

• Admit mistake and improve patient satisfaction, study shows

  It may surprise some physicians, but a recent study conducted by the University of Massachusetts...

• CIGNA to pay $19 million to providers

  After claiming they were shortchanged by CIGNA, 210,000 acupuncturists, chiropractors, podiatrists...

Issue 18, May 4, 2005

• Budget resolution slashes $10b in Medicaid spending

  In an effort to cut federal Medicaid spending by $10 billion, on Thursday Congress approved a...

• Keyboards are loaded with germs

  The technologies more institutions are using to improve patient care may be negatively affecting...

Issue 17, April 27, 2005

• Doctors try to end racial and ethnic healthcare inequalities

  Many physicians recognize and address racial and ethnic healthcare inequalities in their practices...

• Medicare physician reimbursement formula under review

  Despite Congressional budget office projections that it will cost billions, both democrat and...

Issue 15, April 13, 2005

• Bextra pulled, other painkillers to carry stronger warnings

  Another high-profile pain reliever, Bextra, was removed from shelves last Thursday, following in...

• SC Senate has trouble getting doctor discipline bill off the ground

  South Carolina legislators are trying to make doctors more accountable for their actions, and...

Issue 14, April 6, 2005

• Blood pressure implant receives first U.S. trials

  Traditionally, high blood pressure has been treated with prescription drugs and patient lifestyle...

• Doctors unite to fight Medicare cuts

  In the wake of Medicare’s confirmation that they will cut physician reimbursement anywhere...

Issue 13, March 30, 2005

• New test for aspirin resistance gets FDA waiver

  Current estimates show 25 million people taking daily doses of aspirin as a preventitive measure...

• ’Doorknob phenomenon’ cuts into physician productivity

  Doctors have been through the scenario dozens, even hundreds, of times: The patient has been seen...

Issue 12, March 23, 2005

• Many hospital brass think error reporting is a mistake

  We’re taught, from an early age, to ’fess up when we’ve made mistakes, and that...

• Background checks for doctors may become the standard in Nevada

  The recent arrest of a Las Vegas physician has inspired Nevada lawmakers to rescind a 2003 law...

Issue 11, March 16, 2005

• Does physician report card trend fail patients?

  When students load their schedules with easy courses just to improve their grade point averages...

• Crestor survives Public Citizen attack

  Drug manufacturer AstraZeneca received good news on Monday, when the Food and Drug Administration...

Issue 10, March 9, 2005

• AMA proposes guidelines for pay-for-performance programs

  The American Medical Association (AMA) last week announced a set of guidelines for the...

• Take your Merck to work

  A classic physician reference tool has become a lot more portable for the 21st century, with this...

Issue 9, March 2, 2005

• Chinese doctors taken to task for abortion gender bias

  Harsher penalties could be in the cards for physicians in China who break laws governing the...

• Video game skills could make surgery child’s play for doctors

  Golf on Wednesdays might have been a time-honored way for doctors to mellow out in the middle of a...

Issue 8, February 23, 2005

• Can you diagnose me now? Good!

  Neither Alexander Graham Bell nor Hippocrates could have imagined it, but Swiss researchers say...

• Harvard study sees risks associated with older physicians

  Harvard University researchers released a study on February 15 that suggests that older doctors...

Issue 7, February 15, 2005

• Florida physicians pilot "Information Rx"

  Florida physicians pilot "Information Rx"

• Prenatal care essential to decrease risk of preterm birth

  Prenatal care essential to decrease risk of preterm birth

Issue 6, February 8, 2005

• New research may alter approach to attack viral infection

  New research may alter approach to attack viral infection

• Don't let stroke survivors' aspirin remedy slip

  Don't let stroke survivors' aspirin remedy slip

Issue 5, February 1, 2005

• Medicare pilots pay-for-performance for physician groups

  Medicare pilots pay-for-performance for physician groups

• Study: HSAs harbor pitfalls for some populations

  Study: HSAs harbor pitfalls for some populations

Issue 4, January 25, 2005

• Remind patients to bundle up to keep blood pressure down

  Remind patients to bundle up to keep blood pressure down

• Surgeon General proclaims 2005 the year of the healthy child

  Surgeon General proclaims 2005 the year of the healthy child

Issue 3, January 18, 2005

• Surgical procedures help anesthesia group practices stay afloat

  Surgical procedures help anesthesia group practices stay afloat

• Surgeon General releases national health advisory on radon

  U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona warned the public about the risks of breathing indoor radon...

Issue 2, January 11, 2005

• JAMA study supports OTC emergency contraceptive

  JAMA study supports OTC emergency contraceptive

• Brief interventions can help stop drug abuse

  Brief interventions can help stop drug abuse

Issue 1, January 4, 2005

• CDC report: Marriage improves adults' health

  CDC report: Marriage improves adults' health

• Cost, practice size hinder physicians from adopting IT

  Cost, practice size hinder physicians from adopting IT

Issue 12, March 24, 2005

• Study: Delivery of heart-failure care needs improvement

  Only 32% of hospitalized heart-failure patients received recommended discharge instructions on...