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Campaign for Better Care focuses on older adults with multiple health problems

"Will you help her?" That's the question the Campaign for Better Care, led by the National Partnership for Women & Families, Community Catalyst and the National Health Law Program, is asking policymakers today in new print and banner ads running in The Hill, Politico and Roll Call.

15 Apr 2010

Loyola University internist advises patients to complete their living wills

On April 16, Americans are being urged to complete living wills and other types of "advance directives" in observance of National Health-care Decisions Day.

15 Apr 2010

Lawyer suggests tips on insurance and well being

"You've just found out that your insurance co-pays or coinsurance to see your physician are going to be higher this year. You may think, 'I'll just not see my doctor unless I get really sick.' This way of thinking may reduce a few co-pays to save money but a recent study found that deferring regular care is actually increasing the amount of money and time patients are spending for inpatient care," says Frank N. Darras, the nation's top insurance lawyer.

15 Apr 2010

Medicare doc payment cut looms with new deadline: Tomorrow

Congress has already missed the deadline for new legislation to block cuts of 21% in Medicare payments to doctors. The pay reduction officially took effect April 1, but the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — the federal agency that oversees the giant health systems — put a hold on processing physician payments for 10 business days, effectively pushing off the bite on payments for physicians' services until April 15.

15 Apr 2010

Study: Lawsuit fears, peer pressure drives higher costs, more tests

The Associated Press: A quarter of heart doctors order more tests than were necessary, driving up costs, according to a new study. "Most said they weren't swayed by such things as financial gain or a patient's expectations.

15 Apr 2010

Investigators tout fraud convictions in California, Florida and New York

Authorities are crediting their Medicare and Medicaid fraud initiatives for convictions and guilty pleas in California, Florida and New York.

15 Apr 2010

Study suggests patients with low-back pain may benefit from chiropractic treatment

Low-back pain sufferers can seek relief from any number of health professionals, orthopedists, physical therapists and osteopaths among them.

15 Apr 2010

Physician shortage expected to deepen with health overhaul

There is only one primary care doctor per 2,000 patients in certain parts of the country, which the government calls "health professional shortage areas," according to Medill Reports. "Health professionals worry there will be an even greater shortage after 2014 when about 32 million more people are insured, as mandated by the health care reform law and as the baby boomer generation becomes Medicare-aged" (Adorka, 4/13).

15 Apr 2010

Patients focus on high cost of ER care

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports on the high cost of emergency room visits and "a changing health-care world, in which patients must think more like accountants and also like doctors. Make the right decision, and you could save thousands of dollars. Choose wrong, particularly about the ER, and you could lose your life. 'It is a dilemma for an average person: What is a real emergency?' said Martin Rosen, executive vice president of Health Advocate Inc. in Plymouth Meeting, which helps patients with medical or billing issues.

15 Apr 2010

Florida to enact health care legislation to improve access to ARV therapy

Florida is poised to enact health care legislation that would add clarity to existing state statutes by requiring that all state-regulated health plans include lifesaving antiretroviral (ARV) HIV/AIDS drugs on their drug formularies or preferred drug lists.

15 Apr 2010

Jury ill and further adjournment in Dr Patel manslaughter trial

There has been yet another jury issue that will delay the manslaughter case trial against surgeon Dr. Jayant Patel. Dr. Patel had pleaded not guilty in case of manslaughter against three patients Mervyn John Morris, James Edward Phillips and Gerry Kemps.

15 Apr 2010

Medical schools scramble to address doctor shortage

The Wall Street Journal: "Proponents of the new health-care law say it does attempt to address the physician shortage. The law offers sweeteners to encourage more people to enter medical professions, and a 10% Medicare pay boost for primary-care doctors. … Meanwhile, a number of new medical schools have opened around the country recently."

15 Apr 2010

Comparative effectiveness funds spur changes, but not without critics

The new health law will infuse $3 billion into health research that compares treatments to gauge which are most effective, building on an earlier federal investment of $1.1 billion from the stimulus package, Bloomberg BusinessWeek reports.

15 Apr 2010

One in five Idaho physicians are not accepting new Medicare patients

Already fighting one of the lowest doctor-to-patient ratios in the nation (ranking 49th), Idaho's problems are growing worse. According to a new AARP survey released today, doctors in the state are increasingly closing their doors to new patients, especially those using Medicare and Medicaid

15 Apr 2010

New driving guideline for people with Alzheimer's disease

The American Academy of Neurology has issued a new guideline to help determine when people with Alzheimer's disease or another type of dementia should stop driving. The guideline is published in the April 12, 2010, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, and was presented at the American Academy of Neurology's Annual Meeting in Toronto.

13 Apr 2010

Women's perceptions of sexual function after gynecologic surgery

Most women scheduled for gynecologic surgery to address noncancerous symptoms said in a recently published survey that they were not worried about the effects of the procedure on their sex lives.

13 Apr 2010

False claims to Medicare: Los Angeles DME company owner pleads guilty

The owner and operator of a Los Angeles durable medical equipment (DME) company pleaded guilty today to submitting nearly one half of a million dollars in false claims to Medicare, announced the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services.

13 Apr 2010

New tool for retrieving accurate drug side-effect information

It's not uncommon for individuals to take as many as a dozen different prescriptions, each with its own set of possible side effects. If a patient experiences one of the potential hundreds of different adverse reactions such as nausea, headaches, insomnia or heart palpitations, how does the physician quickly and accurately determine which drug is the culprit?

13 Apr 2010

Checklist to stay healthy and active during summer season

There are millions of vacation destinations to visit this summer and thousands of sights to see, but there is one surefire way to ruin your trip -- getting sick. Although you may not be thinking about viruses and bacterial infections when you plan your trip, there are a few nasty bugs you should be aware of as you pack your bags.

13 Apr 2010

Uninsured migraine sufferers likely to get inadequate treatment: Neurology

People with no health insurance are less likely than the privately insured to receive proper treatment for their migraines, according to a study published in the April 13, 2010, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

13 Apr 2010