All News

It's not health insurance bureaucracy, an aging population or malpractice liability, but rather rampant spending on ineffective and unproven technology that is the top driver of the increased cost of health care in the United States, according to a recent study.

As much as $197 billion could be saved over 25 years if patients stayed home and communicated electronically with their physicians or other health-care providers, according to a study released in October.

The process of transitioning pediatric cardiology patients into adult cardiac care should begin in late childhood or early adolescence, says Arwa Saidi, MD (pictured) department of internal medicine and pediatric cardiology, University of Florida. The 2008 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines recommend preparing young people for the transition beginning at age 12.

Researchers have successfully used umbilical cord stem cells to build a functional heart valve that may someday be perfected so that infants born with valve abnormalities could receive a new valve derived from their own stem cells, reports Philipp Schaefermeier, MD, University Hospital of Munich, Germany.

How many patients should an average family physician see per day as an employee of a medical office? How much should a family physician be compensated?

A patient recently claimed that we violated her privacy because we left a message on her answering machine about an upcoming appointment and her husband heard it. Did we violate HIPAA regulations?

Certain insurance carriers insist they are not receiving our claims, regardless of whether they were sent by our online program, fax, or mail. What can we do about this repeated stall tactic?

Can I be held liable for declining to refill the medication of a patient who's refused to take a test?

Is it true that life insurance is not subject to estate taxes?

I would like to transfer some stock to my son as a gift. Because of the recent downturn in the market, the stock is worth less than what I originally paid. Can I deduct my loss?

A California attorney recently explained how I could place my house into a trust to avoid the risk of losing it to a future malpractice creditor. Is there any downside to doing this?

In an emergency situation, the provider and coder must know which procedures are bundled together and which procedures are independent.

Every physician has a noncompliant patient. The problem arises when the patient doesn't want to leave, and you don't know how to get rid of him.

You may not need a planner - but you do need a plan.

Your state-by-state guide to the best personal finance professionals in America.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will expand its six-state Recovery Audit Contractor program to all 50 states by the end of 2009.

Community-based electronic exchanges of health information are decreasing the cost of care, according to a survey by the non-profit eHealth Initiative.

Rockford, Illinois-based Savant Capital Management has hired Brian Knabe, MD, as a financial adviser.

The primary care specialties would be more financially and politically competitive if they merged into a single specialty, according to the associate dean of an Illinois medical school.

The U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission have told Illinois legislators that the state's 'certificate of need' law is anti-competitive and stifles innovation.

Although it has yet to hold its first class, the University of Central Florida's College of Medicine is already among the most sought-after and selective medical schools in the country.

Eli Lilly and Merck announced their plans to release information concerning their payments to physicians for speaking engagements and advisory services.

Hospitalists, personal health records, perfect transcription

Right about now, wealth management feels a lot more like damage control.

More physicians who responded to a late October poll on a social networking web site for doctors appear to favor presidential candidate Senator John McCain's (R-Arizona) stance on health care issues such as government regulation and the shortage of primary care physicians, while his opponent Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois) drew a more negative reaction.

A large portion of physicians in Indiana always know about their patient's tests and treatments in hospitals thanks to a statewide electronic messaging service, which is being called a model for the nation.

A North Dakota health insurer is backing a state-wide "medical home" initiative in which participating doctors receive free analytics and reporting software.

A majority of Americans believe it's important for all of their health information to be stored electronically, but have "serious" concerns about the confidentiality of those records, according to a recent survey.