Medical Economics, Digital Edition, November 19th, 2010

After private equity firms bought for-profit hospices, Medicare paid $993 more per hospice encounter and stays ran 6.3 days longer, with no increase in visits.

New patients in big metros wait about a month to see a physician, and shortage areas, coverage losses and a proposed Medicare pay cut are adding pressure ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms.

Flu hospitalizations are arriving early this fall, and Johns Hopkins experts say a physician's recommendation remains patients' best path to vaccination, while a new mRNA flu vaccine faces a coverage question.

American Osteopathic Association leaders discuss the profession’s record growth, its training pipeline and the pressures facing practicing physicians.

Medical students can borrow up to $50,000 a year and $200,000 total in federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans. See the lifetime cap, Grad PLUS rules and exceptions.

Fidelity's latest estimate, what Medicare leaves out and how physicians can prepare

Automated attacks don't check practice size, and a single-location clinic's patient records are worth as much to criminals as a hospital's. Here's how practices can close the most common gaps, from multifactor authentication and offline backups to a documented risk analysis and a downtime plan.

A workplace researcher discusses what employers can do about rising incivility, caregiving duties and high-stakes work of doctors, nurses and support staff.