SPOTLIGHT -
March 29th 2023
Medical board complaint? Tread carefully.
Rule would limit providers’ ability to write prescriptions without in-person visit
‘Modern gangsters’ use ‘strong arm tactics’ that hurt patients and pharmacies, lawsuit says.
March 28th 2023
As medical expenditures approach 20% of GDP, Health Affairs Council delineates road map to lower national bill.
March 27th 2023
Staggering changeover days of resident and attending physicians also found to have minimal impact on patient outcomes
18 million people set to lose Medicaid coverage in April
If the public health emergency expires, millions are set to lose health insurance
Feds seek $4 billion in health care fraud for the year
HHS Office of Inspector General outlines progress as telehealth remains a target enforcement area.
U.S. health care will suffer if lawmakers don’t act by end of 2022
Physician groups call for action in letter to leaders as clock ticks toward end of 117th Congress.
Health care adds jobs for November
National unemployment rate hovers at 3.5% to 3.7% since March, according to latest government figures.
Inflation hurting patient health around the globe
When cost of living goes up, more people must choose among health care, heat, food, or other necessities.
U.S. firearms deaths reach highest levels in 28 years
Study finds wide disparities in causes, locations of fatalities
Why patients having greater control of their records will help physicians
Many providers resist, but increased patient control of medical records is a plus for patient and physician.
Why Richard Nixon’s ghost is haunting CMS
Understanding the cuts to physician reimbursement
U.S. health care a ‘very mixed picture’ with challenges for primary care, staffing
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality publishes state of the industry report.
22 states contest COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers
Attorneys general file petition to withdraw requirement.
Report: More Americans lack a consistent source of health care
Health disparities in care were made worse by the pandemic
COVID-19 public health emergency to continue; senators want end of national emergency
Political debate continues on best ways to deal with COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 pandemic intensified burnout in primary care physicians around the world
Commonwealth Fund survey of 10 nations finds primary care in global crisis.
HLTH 2022: Federal COVID response slowed by absence of unified public health system, says Becerra
HHS secretary says federal government will need quicker access to national data to address future health emergencies
Explaining the impending Medicare payment cuts
The Medicare cuts are deeper than advertised.
AMA to form gun violence task force for safety advocacy, litigation
‘We cannot continue to live this way,’ association president says a day after shooting kills three at University of Virginia.
HLTH 2022: CMS Administrator calls for greater public, private cooperation to improve health care
Government and private sector often don’t understand each other’s role in providing care, says Chiquita Brooks-LaSure.
Physician organizations oppose congressional scope expansion of non-physician providers
Legislation would vastly expand scope of practice for nurse practitioners and other non-physicians
American Telemedicine Association advocates on behalf of remote mental health
ATA co-wrote a letter to the Biden administration to try to protect remote access for clinically appropriate care
Industry payments start rolling in when new physicians begin practicing
Greater percentages of orthopedic specialists and neurosurgeons accept payments compared to internists, study says.
Health care costs per person vary across 50 states, Washington
Income, price levels, Medicaid expansion all are factors in state-level analysis.
Iranian hackers emerge as cyberthreat to health care computer networks
‘Charming Kitten’ believed to be a front for Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to HHS’ cybersecurity agency.
Congress must act to avoid Medicare reimbursement cut in 2023, senators say
Payments could drop by almost 8.5%, according to AMA and other health care groups.
Medicare looks to boost cooperation between primary care and specialists
Effort to bolster primary care is part of a larger plan to increase value-based care
Physicians face prison, fines for opioid drug dealing, fraud
U.S. attorney says doctor ‘distributed drugs with a prescription pad’ in federal case.
Excessive drinking is behind 1 in 8 adult deaths: study
About 5% of all deaths in U.S. are from alcohol-related causes
CDC updates opioid prescribing guidelines
Revisions to 2016 document focus on provider flexibility and unique circumstances of every prescribing decision
How to handle a medical board complaint
A complaint to a medical board is a considerable challenge posing as much risk to a physician’s career as a malpractice case.
The ABCs of malpractice insurance
Here are answers to some basic questions and answers about malpractice insurance.
Lawmakers urge extension of incentives for joining APMs
Letter to Congressional leaders says ending payments would discourage APM participation and development of new payment models