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Studies prompt attention to streamlining medical billing

The Wall Street Journal reports on two different studies published recently that focus on the billing practices of doctors. One, in the New England Journal of Medicine quantifies the work done in billing at a small primary care practice.

3 May 2010

Adequate primary care is associated with fewer ear and throat surgeries among children

The availability of surgeons may increase the likelihood that children will receive optional ear and throat surgeries, while the availability of primary care providers, such as pediatricians and family physicians, may decrease the likelihood of children undergoing these procedures, according to research to be presented Saturday, May 1 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

3 May 2010

Today's opinions: Ending rescissions, exploring issues of doctor payments and the Oklahoma abortion law

In all the recent discussions about health care reform, what had heretofore played out only beyond earshot of the exam room suddenly was very public: the tangled, uneasy and often antagonistic relationship between practicing doctors and the insurance companies who pay for the services they deliver (Dr. Pauline Chen, 4/29).

30 Apr 2010

MCA to welcome wounded veterans for free vision treatment, Hero's Night Out

Motorcycle Charity Associates announced today that they will welcome a lucky group of wounded veterans to Los Angeles for free vision treatment and a "Hero's Night Out" at the 2nd Annual Stars & Stripes event taking place on the grounds of the Playboy Mansion on Saturday, May 15th.

30 Apr 2010

States struggle to maintain Medicaid programs before health law expansions kick in

"The Tennessee Senate on Thursday approved a bill to allow state hospitals to pay a fee to avoid $659 million in TennCare cuts. Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen had originally proposed cutting $201 million from the state's expanded Medicaid program to help balance the states [sic] budget. Those cuts would be averted through the hospital assessment" (4/29).

30 Apr 2010

Officials face challenges in writing new health law regulations

Obama administration officials face a "monumental task" in writing new regulations to the health care law while keeping one eye on public perception ahead of November's midterm elections.

30 Apr 2010

Florida Senate approves new abortion restrictions

A controversial bill that would require women to undergo ultrasounds before they can have abortions received final approval in the Senate late Thursday, setting up an epic struggle in the House today, the last day of the session. The bill also affects Florida women's coverage in the new federal health exchanges to go into effect in 2014.

30 Apr 2010

Premier Purchasing Partners announces new agreements for exam gloves

Premier Purchasing Partners, LP, today announced new agreements for exam gloves have been awarded to Cardinal Health of Waukegan, Ill.; Digitcare Corporation of Los Angeles, a minority business enterprise; Innovative Healthcare Corporation of Sand Springs, Okla., a veteran business enterprise; Kimberly-Clark Corporation of Roswell, Ga.; Medgluv Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., a minority business enterprise; Medline Industries Inc. of Mundelein, Ill.; and Tronex Company of Parsippany, N.J., a minority business enterprise.

30 Apr 2010

Florida Congress members introduce bill to stiffen Medicare fraud laws

Two members of Congress from Florida, emphasizing that "criminal penalties for Medicare fraud must be updated," have introduced legislation that would "double fines, increase background checks and even study how biometric technology could help ensure the appropriate use of program services." Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., and Ron Klein, D-Fla., said the bill "will help crack down on Medicare fraud, protecting seniors and taxpayers alike.

30 Apr 2010

Registration for 2010 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology opens

Starting today, aspiring scientists and mathematicians nationwide can register for the 2010 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology, the premiere original research competition for high school students in the United States. In just six months, submitted projects will be judged and the countdown to the national finals in Washington, D.C. will begin.

30 Apr 2010

ViaSmart introduces PowerCaddy and TechTote for patient safety

ViaSmart announces its latest products, the PowerCaddy and the TechTote. Designed specifically to assist health care professionals in positively identifying both the patient and the specimen collected, the PowerCaddy carries and protects a PDA (hand-held computer) and a mobile printer in a lightweight, durable tote.

30 Apr 2010

Study offers link between force of acceleration in roller coasters and common ear injury

The sharp turns, ups and downs, and high speeds of today's roller coasters bring a lot of thrills, but if you're not careful, the ride could also cause damage to your ears, say physicians at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

30 Apr 2010

New health law will penalize hospitals for poor quality

The new health law puts the nation's hospitals on strict notice. Either they improve the safety and quality of care for patients or the government will hit them where it hurts the most -- their revenue.

30 Apr 2010

HHS Secretary to host web chat to discuss impact of newly passed health insurance reform law

HHS Secretary Sebelius, Jay Angoff, director of the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, and Keysha Brooks Coley, the director of Federal Relations with the American Cancer Society, will host a web chat Friday, April 30 to discuss important insurance reforms in the new legislation and recent developments that have led to the ending of controversial practices like rescissions.

30 Apr 2010

Gaps in delivering publicly-funded physiotherapy across Canada

From Prince Edward Island, to Ontario, to British Columbia; it is getting harder for many Canadians to access publicly funded physiotherapy services. Health care reform initiatives have shifted outpatient physiotherapy into the community, decreasing or eliminating public funding.

30 Apr 2010

BCHC questions government's commitment to defend public health care

The BC Health Coalition is calling into question the provincial government's commitment to defend public health care in the courts in the wake of the recent appointment of Kip Woodward as chair of Vancouver Coastal Health - the province's second largest health authority.

30 Apr 2010

UCLA researchers show risks associated with heavy drinking among elderly adults

A new study by researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA has found that more than a third of drinkers 60 years old and older consume amounts of alcohol that are excessive or that are potentially harmful in combination with certain diseases they may have or medications they may be taking.

30 Apr 2010

Federal, state and local governments will need to invest more than $5 billion in health IT: INPUT

The recently passed health care reform legislation will require significant investment in IT solutions and system upgrades throughout its implementation. A new report, IT Implications of Health Care Reform, released by INPUT, predicts federal, state and local governments will need to invest more than $5 billion in health IT and traditional IT solutions in order to implement requirements of the new law.

30 Apr 2010

Data mining of hospital information can help identify MDROs: Asolva

Infection control within hospitals is a huge and growing problem. A recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that conditions caused by healthcare associated infections killed 48,000 people and increased healthcare costs by $8.1 billion in 2006 alone.

30 Apr 2010

First Edition: April 30, 2010

Today's headlines focus on state decisions regarding new health insurance pools; insurers' plans regarding the early adoption of some reform law provisions; and, of course, the politics that continue to surround health reform.

30 Apr 2010