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October 18, 2007
eVoice®
Oct. 18, 2007
AMA eVoice is your regular update on the most important health care issues and recent AMA activities.
The AMA is committed to communication. We encourage you to help us spread the word by forwarding AMA eVoice to your colleagues.
Your news interests
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Faculty practice physician issues
1) In the News & Observer: Duke, Peking University announce collaboration
2) Protect your practice from inappropriate discounts
Group practice physician issues
1) In the Wall Street Journal: Escalating health care costs fuel medical identity theft
2) Physicians can now use YouTube videos to educate patients
International medical graduate issues
1) AMA-IMG Section members: Take part in AMA Doctors Back to School events this fall
2) Mark your calendar for AMA-IMG Section events at the 2007 Interim Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates
3) Network with colleagues from AMA sections and special groups
Medical school news
1) Stop by AMA exhibit at November AAMC Meeting
2) Contact Congress—new law could add to loan debt burden
3) In Medical Education Online: Exposure to pharmaceutical industry marketing starts early in med school
Medical student issues
1) Take part in the 2007 AMA-MSS Interim Assembly Meeting
2) Disaster life support course to be offered at 2007 AMA-MSS Interim Assembly Meeting
3) Mark your calendar: Two opportunities to take part in AMA Doctors Back to School this fall
4) AMA to present webcast and panel on college high-risk drinking
5) New AMA-MSS database introduces opportunities in international health
Minority health issues and professional concerns of minority physicians
1) Help inspire a new generation of physicians this fall
2) NQF seeks frameworks for evaluating cultural competency
Organized medical staff issues
1) Register today for the 2007 AMA-OMSS Interim Assembly Meeting in Hawaii today
2) Ian Morrison to keynote Gary F. Krieger, MD, Memorial Lecture at the 2007 AMA-OMSS Interim Assembly Meeting
3) Joint Commission conducting two-part audio conference on new leadership standards and Standard MS.1.20
Resident and fellow issues
1) AMA-RFS Interim handbook now available online
2) Call to action: New law adds to debt burden
3) In GME e-Letter: What does the public know about graduate medical education?
4) In AMNews: Will more medical students mean more residencies?
Senior physicians issues
1) Medicare demonstration project offers free flu vaccination and medications
2) Study shows senior citizens smarter than previous generations
Women physician and women's health issues
1) In AMNews: Lung cancer rates higher for women nonsmokers
2) Attend AMA welcome reception Nov. 9
Young physician issues
1) Let your voice be heard—submit testimony on AMA-YPS reports and resolutions
2) Download "Health savings accounts at a glance"
3) In AMNews: Mind the details when opening a practice
4) In GME e-Letter: What does the public know about graduate medical education?
5) Virtual Mentor examines medicine and ethics during wartime
General AMA news:
1) In wake of U.S. House vote, AMA will continue efforts to preserve kids' access to care
2) Alert: BCBS settlement deadline is Oct. 19
3) AMA Foundation grant fosters healthy lifestyles in Pennsylvania
4) Full HSA contribution still possible in 2007
5) AMA continues to monitor Medicare's NPI rules
6) Medicine, ethics and war—a closer look in October's Virtual Mentor
7) In JAMA: Drug-resistant staph infection appears more widespread than previously thought
with:
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Faculty practice physician issues
1) In the News & Observer: Duke, Peking University announce collaboration
Duke University Health Systems in Durham, N.C., will work with Peking University in Beijing on a project intended to improve health care delivery in China, according to an article in Raleigh, N.C.'s News & Observer. Duke administrators, faculty and researchers will shuttle between Durham, N.C., and Peking University's Health Science Center in Beijing during the seven-year agreement to work with Chinese health officials. The agreement calls for Duke Medicine to help the center establish systems and services that will improve efficiency. Founded in 1912, Peking University Health Science Center comprises eight independent hospitals and 11 schools with more than 10,000 students. The first step in the agreement is the opening of a joint cardiovascular training center in Beijing. The agreement also covers initiatives such as health care management training for Chinese officials; joint research and clinical care programs in specialties such as cardiology, cancer and geriatrics; and setting up guidelines for conducting large-scale clinical trials in China.
2) Protect your practice from inappropriate discounts
Multiple payers could be taking advantage of your lowest contracted payment rate through the use of a rental network preferred provider organization. The AMA developed the booklet, "Read your contracts: Is your practice losing revenue through rental network PPOs?" to educate physicians about how to identify and protect their practices from inappropriate discounts. The booklet is free for AMA members.
Members can access (PDF, 161KB) this resource.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Group practice physician issues
1) In the Wall Street Journal: Escalating health care costs fuel medical identity theft
Medical identity theft is when someone acquires another person's health insurance card to obtain medical treatment, prescription drugs or goods, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal. Its occurrence has doubled in the past year. Often the theft is an inside job where a worker in a hospital or doctor's office steals patients' identities en masse and sells them to criminals who, in turn, sell them or use them to obtain payment for phantom procedures. An uninsured patient can use them to pose as someone else and receive treatment under the fraudulent insurance card. One of the biggest threats posed by medical identity theft is that victims can receive the wrong medical treatment based on the fraudulent information in their medical records. People are often unaware their identities have been stolen, since scammers usually change the home address to which medical bills are sent. And it can be hard to set the record straight because the law offers few protections.
2) Physicians can now use YouTube videos to educate patients
Armed with data showing that 71 percent of U.S. adults have used the Web to research health information, Medem has announced a new service that enables doctors to embed YouTube-hosted videos into their iHealth practice Web sites. The videos can be used to educate patients, explain treatment plans or procedures and introduce their practices to new patients. More than 70,000 U.S. physicians currently have iHealth practice Web sites, including many members of the AMA. Founded by the AMA and several national medical specialty societies, Medem offers a suite of Web-based services to engage patients in better managing their health.
Learn more about Medem.
Learn more about how to make an iHealth video.
>>Return to your news interest contents
International medical graduate issues
1) AMA-IMG Section members: Take part in AMA Doctors Back to School events this fall
The AMA Doctors Back to School (DBTS) program is calling on physicians to take part in two DBTS visits this fall:
- Oct. 23—Pershing West Magnet School in Chicago
- Nov. 8—Mililani Middle School in Mililani, Hawaii (just outside of Waikiki, Hawaii)
DBTS is a program that aims to raise awareness of the need for more minority physicians and to encourage children from underrepresented minority groups to look at medicine as a career option.
Send an e-mail to Wilda Knox if you would like to take part in one of the visits listed here or if you are interested in hosting a DBTS event in your community.
2) Mark your calendar for AMA-IMG Section events at the 2007 Interim Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates
Attend the following AMA-IMG Section events at the 2007 Interim Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates at the Hawaii Convention Center, Honolulu, and make sure your voice is heard on important AMA-IMG Section issues.
- AMA-IMG Section Congress—4:30–6 p.m., Nov. 9
- AMA-IMG Section Caucus—5:30–7 p.m., Nov. 10
- AMA-IMG Delegate Caucus—8–9:30 a.m., Nov. 12
- AMA-IMG Leadership Session, "Communication effectively"—9:30–11:30 a.m., Nov. 12
Register for these events. The deadline for registration is Nov. 1.
3) Network with colleagues from AMA sections and special groups
All AMA-IMG Section physicians are invited to attend the following joint AMA sections and special groups events held at the 2007 Interim Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates in Honolulu. Don't miss out on the following events:
- AMA sections and special groups luau—9–11 p.m., Nov. 8
- Continuing medical education session, "The future of medicine," and lunch—noon–1:30 p.m., Nov. 9
- AMA welcoming reception, honoring the AMA Women Physicians Congress—6–7 p.m., Nov. 9
- Educational session, "Washington update"—8–8:30 a.m., Nov. 10
>>Return to your news interest contents
Medical school news
(Brought to you by the AMA Section on Medical Schools)
1) Stop by AMA exhibit at November AAMC Meeting
Exhibits at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Annual Meeting are scheduled Nov. 4–5 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. If you are attending the meeting, we encourage you to stop by the AMA booth. Let your colleagues know the AMA will be there.
2) Contact Congress—new law could add to loan debt burden
A key provision in a new education financing law could adversely affect loan repayments for up to 67 percent of resident physicians. The AMA urges all physicians, especially medical students and early-career physicians, to call on members of Congress to fix this problem.
At issue is the recent elimination of the "20/220" rule—a regulation that had enabled many resident physicians to qualify for economic hardship deferment, and defer payment for three years without accruing interest on subsidized loans. Residents qualified if their debt burden was greater than 20 percent of their income, and if their income minus their debt burden was not greater than 220 percent of the federal poverty level.
As part of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (H.R. 2669), which was signed into law Sept. 27 and took effect Oct. 1, the 20/220 rule no longer exists. Instead, under a new program, loan repayments would be capped at 15 percent of the borrower's income that is above 150 percent of the federal poverty level. But the new program does not begin until July 1, 2009.
The AMA feels strongly that elimination of the 20/220 rule in the middle of the year is disruptive and unfairly hits resident physicians at a time when they will be least able to make monthly payments on their education loans. The average resident earns just over $43,000 a year and carries a debt burden of more than $130,000.
The AMA urges its members to contact the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and physician members of Congress. Please urge them to do the following:
- Restore the 20/220 rule that was eliminated in the College Cost Reduction and Access Act
- Delay the elimination of the 20/220 rule until July 1, 2009, to coincide with the start of the new loan repayment program
Learn more (PDF, 46KB) about the new student loan deferment provisions, and obtain contact information for the House Education and Labor Committee, the Senate HELP Committee and physician members of Congress.
3) In Medical Education Online: Exposure to pharmaceutical industry marketing starts early in med school
A recent survey of preclinical medical students at David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that by the second semester of their second year, medical students had been exposed to non-educational gifts, food and published materials provided by drug representatives and some received at least one free drug, according to an article in Medical Education Online. The researchers concluded that educational interventions may be necessary during the pre-clinical years to counter the somewhat favorable attitudes medical students have towards exposure to pharmaceutical industry marketing.
View (PDF, 533KB) the study.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Medical student issues
1) Take part in the 2007 AMA-MSS Interim Assembly Meeting
The 2007 AMA-MSS Interim Assembly Meeting will take place Nov. 8–10 at the Hawaii Convention Center, Honolulu. Please join us for an exciting meeting, including policymaking sessions, educational sessions, a research poster symposium and more.
Although the deadline to register electronically has passed, you can still register on-site at the Hawaii Convention Center, Honolulu.
Visit the Web site for more information about the meeting, including a draft agenda.
2) Disaster life support course to be offered at 2007 AMA-MSS Interim Assembly Meeting
The AMA Center for Public Health Preparedness and Disaster Response invites interested medical students attending the 2007 AMA-MSS Interim Assembly Meeting to take the newly-released online Electronic Core Disaster Life Support® (eCDLS) course. Developed with funding from the Department of Homeland Security, this four-hour course is offered free of charge. eCDLS provides an opportunity to learn the basics of disaster preparedness and response through a comprehensive, easy-to-use online venue.
If you are interested in taking the eCDLS course, please contact Suraj Madoori at (312) 464–4074 or send an e-mail for login instructions. Due to limitations with our learning management system, the course will only be provided to the first 50 students. By agreeing to complete the course, please note that you are also committing to participate in an educational session from noon to 2 p.m., Nov. 10, at the Hawaii Convention Center, Honolulu, to discuss your learning experience, as well as work through a real-life disaster scenario based on pandemic influenza.
As an incentive, you will receive a free pizza lunch, an eCDLS course manual, the "AMA responding to public health emergencies" virtual library CD-ROM, as well as other giveaway items. During this session, you also will have the opportunity to network with other students and members of the local disaster medical response community.
3) Mark your calendar: Two opportunities to take part in AMA Doctors Back to School this fall
The AMA Doctors Back to School (DBTS) program is calling on physicians and medical students to take part in two DBTS visits this fall:
- Oct. 23—Pershing West Magnet School in Chicago
- Nov. 8—Mililani Middle School in Mililani, Hawaii (just outside of Waikiki, Hawaii).
DBTS is a program that aims to raise awareness of the need for more minority physicians and to encourage children from underrepresented minority groups to look at medicine as a career option.
Send an e-mail to Wilda Knox you would like to take part in one of the visits listed here.
4) AMA to present webcast and panel on college high-risk drinking
The AMA will present "Medical schools, physicians and medical students address college high-risk drinking: A national webcast and expert panel" from noon to 1 p.m. CST, Oct. 23.
Learn more and register for this unique event.
5) New AMA-MSS database introduces opportunities in international health
The AMA-MSS International Health and Policy Committee is compiling an International Health Opportunities Database as a tool to aid medical students and residents searching for clinical, public health, educational and research opportunities in international medicine. If you have traveled abroad and completed work in international medicine, please take a few minutes to tell us about your international medicine experience.
Obtain an international medicine personal experience submission form.
Learn more about the AMA-MSS International Health and Policy Committee.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Minority health issues and professional concerns of minority physicians
(Brought to you by the AMA Minority Affairs Consortium)
1) Help inspire a new generation of physicians this fall
The AMA Doctors Back to School (DBTS) program is calling on physicians to take part in two DBTS visits this fall. DBTS is a program that aims to raise awareness of the need for more minority physicians and to encourage children from underrepresented minority groups to look at medicine as a career option. Programs this fall include:
- Oct. 23 at Pershing West Magnet School in Chicago—this visit will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a morning and afternoon session with students.
- Nov. 8 at Mililani Middle School in Mililani, Hawaii (just outside of Waikiki, Hawaii)—this visit will take place from 8:30 to 11 a.m.
Send an e-mail to Wilda Knox if you would like to take part in one of the visits listed above.
2) NQF seeks frameworks for evaluating cultural competency
The National Quality Forum (NQF) solicits frameworks and practices for a new project, "Endorsing a framework and preferred practices for measuring and reporting culturally competent care," which is being supported by the Commonwealth Fund and the California Endowment. The frameworks and practices should focus on all aspects of cultural competency, including but not limited to race/ethnicity, disabilities, sexual orientation, spirituality and language preference.
Frameworks and practices must be submitted by 6 p.m. EDT, Oct. 25.
Learn more about the NQF and the project summary, and to call for frameworks, practices and a practice submission form.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Organized medical staff issues
1) Register today for the 2007 AMA-OMSS Interim Assembly Meeting in Hawaii today
It's not too late to register for the 2007 AMA-OMSS Interim Assembly Meeting in Honolulu, Nov. 8–11.
Register online. The process is quick and easy.
Book your airline and hotel reservations online.
Learn more about programming details and the meeting schedule.
2) Ian Morrison to keynote Gary F. Krieger, MD, Memorial Lecture at the 2007 AMA-OMSS Interim Assembly Meeting
Plan now to attend the Gary F. Krieger, MD, Memorial Lecture from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 9 in Honolulu. Ian Morrison, keynote speaker of the luncheon, will deliver remarks addressing the future of health care. Specifically, his presentation will focus on the political, economic and strategic context of change in health care and examine how the various actors are preparing for the future. In discussing the quest for value in health care, he will also identify leadership opportunities and provide strategic insights on how organizations and individuals can flourish in the new millennium in health care. Advanced registration for the lecture and lunch is required by checking the appropriate box on the online registration form for the meeting. There is no cost for attending the lecture. However, attendees may purchase lunch for $20. Payment for lunch will be collected on-site at the conference registration.
Learn more and register.
3) Joint Commission conducting two-part audio conference on new leadership standards and Standard MS.1.20
The Joint Commission is conducting a free, two-part audio conference on the new leadership standards and Standard MS.1.20 at 1 p.m. CST Oct. 25 and Nov. 1. By participating in both calls, listeners will understand the revisions to the leadership chapter and the rationale for those changes, recognize the connection between Standard MS.1.20 and the revised leadership standards, and learn the details of the application of MS.1.20.
Learn more about the two-part audio conference.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Resident and fellow issues
1) AMA-RFS Interim handbook now available online
View the 2007 AMA-RFS Interim Assembly Meeting handbook online for the meeting agenda, resolutions, applications for AMA-RFS Governing Council chair-elect and sectional delegate, as well as other pertinent meeting information. The AMA-RFS Interim Assembly Meeting will be held Nov. 8–10 in Honolulu.
View the handbook and learn more about the AMA-RFS Interim Assembly Meeting.
2) Call to action: New law adds to debt burden
A key provision in a new education financing law could adversely affect loan repayments for up to 67 percent of resident physicians. The AMA urges all physicians to call on members of Congress to fix this problem. At issue is the recent elimination of the "20/220" rule—a regulation that had enabled many resident physicians to qualify for economic hardship deferment and defer payment for three years without accruing interest on subsidized loans. Residents qualified if their debt burden was greater than 20 percent of their income, and if their income minus their debt burden was not greater than 220 percent of the federal poverty level. This new law eliminates the "20/220 pathway" for economic hardship deferment.
Learn more about the new loan deferment provisions, obtain contact information for Congressional members and view a phone script to prepare for the call. Please call today.
3) In GME e-Letter: What does the public know about graduate medical education?
"Why is it important for the public and Congress to understand graduate medical education (GME), to know that doctors must train three to seven (or more) years after earning their doctor of medicine degrees before they can become certified to practice in their specialty? Two reasons stand out, and both have dollar signs: medical student debt and resident salaries."
View the October issue of the AMA GME e-Letter, a leading source of news and information on GME.
4) In AMNews: Will more medical students mean more residencies?
An Oct. 22/29 American Medical News (AMNews) article looks at the need for the U.S. government to increase residency program funding amidst the growth of medical students. The growing fear that there will not be enough physicians for the projected U.S. population has ignited the largest medical school expansion since the 1970s. The problem is that this increase is not taking place on the federal level with an increase in funding for medical residencies. In order for federal funding to occur, Congress must lift a 1996 cap it placed on Medicare's graduate medical education funding.
View the AMNews article.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Senior Physicians issues
1) Medicare demonstration project offers free flu vaccination and medications
With the flu season beginning this month, it's important for seniors to receive their flu and pneumococcal shots. Medicare recipients are covered under the Medicare Demonstration Project for an annual flu shot. Also, for seniors who manage to catch the flu bug, Medicare will help pay for antiviral medicines under Medicare's new demonstration project. The Influenza Treatment Demonstration provides coverage to all Medicare beneficiaries for FDA-approved drugs for the treatment and targeted prevention of influenza. Under the project, Medicare will cover up to two prescriptions for certain anti-viral drugs for Medicare recipients.
2) Study shows senior citizens smarter than previous generations
In a recent article published on WebMD, a new study suggests that senior citizens today are smarter than they were a generation ago. Elizabeth Zelinski, a professor from the University of Southern California, found through a battery of intelligence tests that a contemporary 74-year-old was closer to someone 15 years younger in an earlier testing group. Tests were designed to assess reasoning, memory and other intelligence measures. One reason cited was that the older population in industrial countries are now exposed to more information than previous generations. The baby boomer generation will begin turning 65 in 2011 but may be more mentally able to keep working beyond retirement age, the article said.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Women physician and women's health issues
(Brought to you by the AMA Women Physicians Congress)
1) In AMNews: Lung cancer rates higher for women nonsmokers
An Oct. 15 article in American Medical News (AMNews) examines how researchers are hoping to defeat lung cancer by moving beyond chemotherapy to study the biology of this disease. Many cases of lung cancer are diagnosed among women who have never used tobacco, and more of these cases occur among women than men.
View the article.
2) Attend AMA welcome reception Nov. 9
All AMA-WPC members and attendees of the 2007 AMA Interim Meeting are invited to attend the welcome reception sponsored by the AMA-WPC from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Nov. 9 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu. Festivities include a special display recognizing those mentors nominated in our first AMA-WPC Physician Mentor Recognition Program.
Learn more about the physician recognition program and to view a list of physicians being honored.
Other AMA sections and special groups joint events include:
- Luau—9–11 p.m., Nov. 8
- Continuing medical educational session, "The future of medicine"—12–1:30 p.m., Nov. 9
- Educational session, "Washington update"—8–8:30 a.m., Nov. 10
- AMA-WPC Caucus—6–7:30 p.m., Nov. 10
>>Return to your news interest contents
Young physician issues
1) Let your voice be heard—submit testimony on AMA-YPS reports and resolutions
All young physicians are invited to submit testimony on items of business to be considered at the 2007 AMA-YPS Interim Assembly Meeting, Nov. 8–10. Several reports are currently open for comment on the section's new, Web-based work space; the deadline for submitting testimony is 12 p.m. CST on Nov. 1. After this date, the AMA-YPS Reference Committee will review online testimony and draft a report of recommendations for AMA-YPS action that will be presented to the assembly during its business meeting, Nov. 9.
Visit the Web site to log on to the new AMA-YPS work space and submit your testimony.
Send an e-mail if you want to comment on AMA-YPS items of business but have not received an invitation to join the secure work space.
2) Download "Health savings accounts at a glance"
The AMA has published the second edition of "Health savings accounts at a glance," an advocacy brochure first published in 2004 following the authorization of health savings accounts (HSAs). This resource uses question-and-answer format to explain how HSAs work, why HSAs should be considered, and where additional information about HSAs can be found. The new edition updates HSA dollar limits, reflects legislative changes and features two new sections offering practical guidance to patients and physicians.
Download a copy of the brochure.
3) In AMNews: Mind the details when opening a practice
In the Oct. 15 issue of American Medical News (AMNews) contributor Karen Schechter answers the following question: "In starting a new practice, what are the potential pitfalls to watch out for?"
View the article, which includes "tips that may make the startup process less painful and more productive in the long run."
4) In GME e-Letter: What does the public know about graduate medical education?
"Why is it important for the public and Congress to understand graduate medical education (GME), to know that doctors must train three to seven (or more) years after earning their doctor of medicine degrees before they can become certified to practice in their specialty? Two reasons stand out, and both have dollar signs: medical student debt and resident salaries."
View the October issue of the AMA GME e-Letter, a leading source of news and information on GME.
Other topics covered in this issue include:
- Orthopaedic surgery working to increase diversity
- More women in surgery, fewer in academia?
- New monograph can help you improve patient safety
- Medicine and ethics during wartime
- How to file a duty-hour violation complaint
Subscribe now to this free monthly e-mail newsletter.
5) Virtual Mentor examines medicine and ethics during wartime
How can physicians fulfill their professional obligation to help all who need medical care—which may include our enemies—while serving the military in times of conflict? The October issue of Virtual Mentor, the AMA's online ethics journal, tackles this and other questions related to this timely and controversial theme. Clinical case commentaries examine:
- The ethics of military recruiting on medical school campuses
- A physician's duty to report suspected detainee abuse
- The obligation to treat an enemy rebel at a village clinic.
View the October issue online.
>>Return to your news interest contents
General AMA news
1) Headline
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General AMA news
1) In wake of U.S. House vote, AMA will continue efforts to preserve kids' access to care
The U.S. House on Oct. 18 fell short of the votes necessary to override President George W. Bush's veto of bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the successful Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
"The American Medical Association is committed to the reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program and will continue our work to protect kids in low-income families whose parents work hard, but aren't able to afford health insurance," said AMA Board Chair Edward L. Langston, MD, after the vote.
"The number of uninsured kids has increased by nearly one million over the past two years, and action must be taken to reverse this growing trend," said Dr. Langston. "The nation's children, parents and physicians are counting on Congress to renew and strengthen this successful program."
Dr. Langston added that the AMA has two major legislative priorities this year—to get more Americans insurance coverage, starting with the reauthorization of CHIP, and to stop Medicare payment cuts to doctors that threaten seniors' access to care.
"Our work to preserve access to care for two of our most vulnerable populations, America's seniors and children, is ongoing," he said. "The AMA will continue to work with elected officials on both sides of the aisle to enact meaningful legislation that provides patients with access to the care they deserve."
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2) Alert: BCBS settlement deadline is Oct. 19
Filing a claim to obtain your share of the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) class action multi-district litigation settlement is simpler than you may think.
Physicians, physician groups or physician organizations who provided covered services to any individual enrolled in or covered by BCBS plans at any time between May 22, 1999, and May 31, 2007, may be entitled to a share of the recent $131 million BCBS settlement brought by the nation's physicians.
Obtain a claim form and details on the simple filing process. The claim form must have a postmark date no later than Oct. 19.
Questions regarding the settlement may be directed to the settlement administrator at (877) 893–2643 or answered by visiting the Web site.
>>Return to your general news contents
3) AMA Foundation grant fosters healthy lifestyles in Pennsylvania
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, affecting over a million Americans every year. And by the time a person is 20 years old, 80 percent of his or her lifetime sun exposure has already been established, according to AMA member Harmar D. Brereton, MD, a radiation oncologist from Dunmore, Pa.
The Northeast Regional Cancer Institute in Dunmore, Pa., is using an AMA Foundation Fund for Better Health grant to help prevent cancer in northeastern Pennsylvania with its Students Keep It Natural (SKIN) project.
"Cancer is important to us all," said Dr. Brereton, a board member of the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute. "There isn't a family you know that hasn't in some way been touched by this disease."
The SKIN project educates adolescents and young adults about skin cancer awareness, focusing on the risks associated with early age sun exposure and general misconceptions regarding artificial tanning devices. "The fascinating fact is that virtually all cancer risks are accumulated at an early age," said Dr. Brereton. "After that, most people work indoors. With sun exposure occurring at a young age, that is where we have to make a difference."
The AMA Foundation awarded 33 organizations across the country with Fund for Better Health grants to advance projects on such issues as healthy lifestyles, public and patient safety and care for the uninsured.
Learn more about these and other award opportunities available through the AMA Foundation.
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4) Full HSA contribution still possible in 2007
If you are considering a Health Savings Account (HSA) for yourself, your family or your practice, don't miss out on the tax advantages still possible in 2007. Thanks to new legislation, HSA contributions made later in the year are no longer prorated; you can still contribute up to the maximum amount allowed for 2007 ($2,850 for individuals and $5,650 for families) provided your HSA-qualified High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) is effective by Dec. 1 and other eligibility requirements are met.
In 2008, you can set aside even more money in an HSA: $2,900 for individuals and $5,800 for families.
Visit the Web site or call (877) 393–0518 to learn more about the HSA/HDHP program with First Horizon Msaver Inc., and First Horizon Insurance Services Inc., made available through the AMA Insurance Agency Inc.
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5) AMA continues to monitor Medicare's NPI rules
The AMA continues to closely track Medicare's implementation of the National Provider Identifier (NPI). Beginning Sept. 3 and into October, Medicare carriers began putting in place NPI edits that could cause physicians' claims to be rejected if they are unable to internally match their NPI number to the appropriate Medicare legacy number.
The AMA also learned that single, incorporated physicians who enrolled in Medicare prior to 2003 and were only assigned a single, individual PIN are being required by Medicare to obtain a "group" PIN if they want to bill Medicare through their corporation.
These and other complexities associated with Medicare's ability to appropriately "match" a physician's NPI number to their legacy number have come to light. Following several conversations and prompting by the AMA to clarify these issues, Medicare issued an article in "MLN Matters." Physicians and their billing staffs are strongly encouraged to read this and contact their carrier with questions. Tips to help avert claims rejections are included.
Read (PDF, 98KB) the article.
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6) Medicine, ethics and war—a closer look in October's Virtual Mentor
The October issue of Virtual Mentor, the AMA's online ethics journal, ventures into the controversial arena of medicine, ethics and war.
The nature of modern warfare has introduced a series of novel questions pertaining to the ethical conduct of military physicians working in the context of war. Can a physician maintain full fidelity to the fundamental principles of medical ethics while serving as a military physician? Do physicians have an ethical obligation to act individually and collectively to oppose war? Is there still a place for the 150-year-old tradition of medical immunity on the modern battlefield? These questions, among others, are explored in this month's issue.
Other topics covered include recruiting for military scholarship programs on medical school campuses, maintaining medical neutrality in conflict zones and teaching military medical ethics.
View this month's issue.
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7) In JAMA: Drug-resistant staph infection appears more widespread than previously thought
Infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) appear to be more prevalent than previously believed, affecting certain populations disproportionately and is being found more often outside of health care settings, according to a study in the Oct. 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). In an accompanying editorial, the author writes that antimicrobial resistance is an increasing problem.
View the study.
Preview an editorial on this topic.
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