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April 4, 2008
eVoice®
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) Five years of stagnant funding for the NIH puts America at risk, report warns
Group practice physician issues
1) Quality gains are slowing, says AHRQ
2) AMA practice tip: Getting paid what you deserve for out-of-network services
International medical graduate issues
1) AMA-IMG Section Governing Council slate of candidates announced
2) Register for AMA-IMG Section Annual Meeting activities today
Medical school news
1) Check out AMA Foundation scholarship opportunities
2) In AMA Voice: Researchers hope to improve medical training
3) Edward R. Annis, MD, medical student scholarship to be awarded in June
4) 2008 residency program match is the largest in history
Medical student issues
1) Apply for exciting media rotation with Discovery Health
2) Get involved in Cover the Uninsured Week, April 27–May 3
3) Mark your calendars: 2008 AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting deadlines
4) Call for AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting resolutions
5) Are you interested in public health?
6) Apply today for the AMPAC Student Advisory Board
Minority health issues and professional concerns of minority physicians
1) NIH establishes new health disparities center
2) Report identifies issues behind racial health disparities
3) AHRQ and Ad Council encourage Hispanics to become more involved in their health care
4) Minority Scholars Award applications due April 15
5) Appointments and candidates for AMA-MAC Governing Council election announced
Organized medical staff issues
1) 2008 AMA-OMSS Annual Assembly Meeting registration now live
2) Just launched: New webcast on investigating health information transformation
3) View webcast on revised Joint Commission Standard MS.1.20
4) Check out most recent webcast on economic credentialing
5) Webcast explores future of health care
6) AMA-OMSS gearing up for its 2008–2010 governing council election
7) Now available: “Physician’s guide to medical staff organization bylaws”
8) Printable version of “Principles for strengthening the physician-hospital relationship” available online
Resident and fellow issues
1) Help create policy by submitting a resolution
2) Apply for AMA-RFS Convention Committees
3) View webcast on revised Joint Commission Standard MS.1.20
Senior physicians issues
1) In AMNews: Older physicians looking to trim work hours instead of retiring
Women physician and women's health issues
1) Candidates for AMA-WPC Governing Council election announced
2) In AMNews: Sleep times drop during work week
Young physician issues
1) Check out new summary of AMA’s plan for expanding coverage and choice
2) AMA-YPS accepting nominations for its governing council
3) 2008 Community Service Award nominations due May 1
4) In a public health emergency, who gets the critical care resources?
5) Watch your mail for Physician Practice Information survey
General AMA news:
1) Medicine makes “house call” on Congress
2) Podcast outlines Medicare payment situation
3) New resource details ways physician practices can integrate to stay competitive
4) AMA supports call for transparency and accurate reporting among health insurers
5) In JAMA: Mixed results in clinical trial of weight loss drug rimonabant on slowing progression of coronary disease
Your news interests
Sign up to receive customized AMA eVoice messages.
Faculty practice physician issues
1) Five years of stagnant funding for the NIH puts America at risk, report warns
On March 11, a group of seven academic research institutions released the report “A broken pipeline? Flat funding of the NIH puts a generation of science at risk,” warning that America stands to lose a generation of young researchers and the cures they could discover if current NIH funding trends continue. The report features the voices of 12 junior researchers from institutions across the country who, despite their exceptional qualifications and noteworthy research, attest to the funding difficulties they and their peers are experiencing. The report was co-authored by Brown University, Duke University, Harvard University, The Ohio State University, Partners Healthcare, the University of California–Los Angeles and Vanderbilt University.
Read (PDF, 469KB) the joint news release from these institutions.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Group practice physician issues
1) Quality gains are slowing, says AHRQ
The quality of health care improved nationwide at a rate of 2.3 percent per year from 1994 to 2005, but the pace of progress is slowing, according to a report released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The annual analysis helps health leaders identify areas of health care delivery that need quality improvement. It includes information such as each state's rate of obesity, health insurance coverage, mental illness and the number of specialist doctors. The best performing states across overall measures of health care were Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska. Read the AHRQ news release.
2) AMA practice tip: Getting paid what you deserve for out-of-network services
The AMA has developed the educational resource “Out-of-network payment challenges for the physician practice” to help physicians and their office staff better understand the health insurer’s obligation for payment to out-of-network providers. The resource explains some of the payment challenges that arise when a physician who is considered out-of-network requests payment from a patient and/or health insurer. Visit the AMA Practice Management Center Web site for more information. AMA members can download (PDF, 151KB) this educational resource as a member benefit.
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International medical graduate issues
1) AMA-IMG Section Governing Council slate of candidates announced
The AMA-IMG Section is pleased to announce the following slate of candidates for the 2008 AMA-IMG Section Governing Council election. Online voting polls will open April 14 and close May 14.
Physician candidates (vote for two), include:
- Keith Adams, MD
- Padmini Ranasinghe, MD
- Marie-Claude Rigaud, MD
- Rajendra Seth, MD
Resident and fellow candidates (vote for one), include:
- Nirav Shah, MD
- Anagh Anantral Vora, MD
Bookmark and check back April 14 to view each candidate’s profile and vote.
Send an e-mail with questions.
2) Register for AMA-IMG Section Annual Meeting activities today
Mark your calendars and send in your registration form to attend the AMA-IMG Section annual congress, caucus/candidates’ forum, dessert reception and leadership development session that will be held June 13–16 at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates in Chicago.
Download (Word, 94KB) a registration form.
Make your voice heard on important IMG issues by sending in your AMA-IMG Section resolutions for the 2008 Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates by May 8.
Visit the Web site for guidelines on writing resolutions.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Medical school news
(Brought to you by the AMA Section on Medical Schools)
1) Check out AMA Foundation scholarship opportunities
Medical schools can nominate students for AMA Foundation scholarships. The AMA Foundation’s 2008 scholarship opportunities include:
- Minority Scholars Award—Ten $10,000 scholarships will be awarded to first- or second-year medical students. Nominations are due April 15.
- Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship—Thirteen $10,000 scholarships will be awarded to third-year medical students who are entering their fourth year of study. Nominations are due May 30.
- Arthur N. Wilson, MD, Scholarship—One $5,000 scholarship will be awarded to a medical student who grew up in Southeast Alaska. Submissions are due June 16.
- Scholars Fund—Funds will be collected for each medical school to distribute to deserving students. Submissions are due July 1.
Visit the Web site for details and nomination forms.
Visit the Web site for your school’s available Scholars Fund account balance to grant as scholarships.
Send an e-mail or call (312) 464-4200 with questions.
2) In AMA Voice: Researchers hope to improve medical training
The lead article in the March/April issue of AMA Voice for academic physicians highlights the AMA’s Innovative Strategies for Transforming the Education of Physicians (ISTEP) and AMA member Paul Lanken, MD, chair of the ISTEP executive committee. Teams of researchers from 27 medical schools are joining forces to explore ways to improve the way physicians are trained in order to improve patient outcomes.
View (PDF, 1.46MB) and download the March/April issue of AMA Voice.
3) Edward R. Annis, MD, medical student scholarship to be awarded in June
The Florida Medical Foundation Edward R. Annis, MD, scholarship is targeted toward beginning third- or fourth-year medical students who demonstrate a commitment to organized medicine and public health initiatives. One $1,000 scholarship will be presented to a successful candidate from a U.S. allopathic medical school at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates in June. Applications are due April 14.
Visit the Web site for details and an application. Applicants must be AMA members.
4) 2008 residency program match is the largest in history
More than 94 percent of U.S. medical school seniors who applied for residencies this year paired with a program of their choice—the highest percentage in more than three decades. The 2008 match was also the largest ever, according to a press release by the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).
View (PDF, 49KB) the press release from the NRMP.
View (PDF, 67KB) advance data tables on the 2008 main residency match.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Medical student issues
1) Apply for media rotation with Discovery Health
The AMA, in conjunction with Discovery Health, is offering a four-week opportunity to AMA medical student and resident/fellow members. As part of the AMA/Discovery Health internship, one AMA medical student and one AMA resident/fellow will work to develop a medical education program that will air on the Discovery Health Channel. This exciting opportunity gives the student and resident/fellow hands-on experience in the translation of rigorous scientific data into an entertaining and informational program. The student and resident/fellow will work primarily at Discovery Communications headquarters in Silver Spring, Md., but will also travel to relevant on-site and studio shoots for the program. A stipend of $3,000 will be provided to cover living expenses. While summer dates are strongly preferred, dates and length of the rotation are flexible. Applications are due April 17.
Learn more and apply.
2) Get involved in Cover the Uninsured Week, April 27–May 3
As part of Cover the Uninsured Week (CTUW), April 27–May 3, medical students at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have planned a weeklong awareness campaign focusing on the problems facing uninsured patients and the physicians who take care of them. Speakers will address helping uninsured patients receive services that are readily available to them, such as Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, and how to successfully run a practice seeing mainly Medicaid patients.
Send an e-mail to Jamee Paoloemilio for more information about this event.
What is your chapter doing for CTUW? The AMA-MSS has many resources to help you plan a great event. Visit the Web site to learn how to get involved and plan an event for your chapter.
3) Mark your calendars: 2008 AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting deadlines
Chicago. The AMA-MSS will also hold its annual medical specialty showcase, where physicians from specialty societies represented in the AMA House of Delegates will provide comprehensive information on medical specialties before entering the residency selection process.
Stay tuned for more information on educational sessions, featured speakers and the AMA-MSS National Service Project, “Covering the uninsured and protecting access to care.”
Please keep the following AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting dates and deadlines in mind:
- Resolutions posted to the AMA-MSS health policy and news listserv by April 11
- Resolutions due April 25
- Chapter of the Year Award applications due April 30
- Meeting registration due May 8
- Governing council position applications due May 18
Visit the Web site for more information and meeting applications.
4) Call for AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting resolutions
Resolutions for the AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting in Chicago must be posted to the AMA-MSS health policy and news listserv by April 11. Join the listserv.
Feedback will be provided to all who submit resolutions. Final versions of resolutions and the resolution checklist are due April 25. View the checklist, which lists all necessary tasks to submit a resolution.
Review (PDF, 43KB) the AMA-MSS resolution writing guide and learn everything you need to know about resolutions—from developing an idea and submitting a resolution, to writing and delivering testimony at the AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting.
Contact any member of the AMA-MSS Governing Council, or send an e-mail to Eleonora Teplinsky with questions.
5) Are you interested in public health?
Need new and unique chapter programming ideas? The AMA-MSS Committee on Public Health provides medical students with information relating to the field of public health, prominent figures in public health, and resources on public health topics and opportunities available for medical students and residents.
Visit the Web site for more information.
The Committee on Public Health is currently soliciting ideas on a variety of topics, including resources you would like to see offered by the committee, features you would like to see added to the committee Web site, and topics you want to learn more about. Please send an e-mail to the Committee on Public Health Chair Jenny Guido if you have ideas for programming for the AMA-MSS Annual and Interim Assembly Meetings.
6) Apply today for the AMPAC Student Advisory Board
The AMA Political Action Committee (AMPAC) Student Advisory Board (SAB) is composed of 14 medical students—two from each AMA-MSS region, appointed for one-year, renewable terms. Being a part of the AMPAC SAB is a unique opportunity for students to meet and work with board members and staff of AMPAC and state medical political action committees.
Visit the Web site (Word, 43KB) for more information and to apply. Applications are due April 11.
>>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) NIH establishes new health disparities center
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched a new Center for Genomics and Health Disparities to study the dynamics of genetics, the economy and other social factors that result in different disease rates and medical responses among racial groups.
Learn more and view a press release from the NIH.
2) Report identifies issues behind racial health disparities
The Commonwealth Fund released a report, “Racial and ethnic disparities in U.S. health care: A chartbook,” that cites previous research showing minorities have poorer health, limited access to care and are more likely to be uninsured than other U.S. residents. These findings are partly due to income, education and insurance coverage. The report includes 75 charts and analyses to serve as an easily accessible resource to help policymakers, researchers and others understand disparities in their communities and to formulate solutions and provide tools to help understand the nature and etiology of disparities.
View and download a copy of the chartbook.
3) AHRQ and Ad Council encourage Hispanics to become more involved in their health care
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) joined with The Advertising Council to launch a Spanish-language national public service campaign designed to encourage Hispanics to become more involved in their health care. The campaign urges Hispanics to stay healthy for their loved ones by visiting their doctor for regular screenings. Hispanics are 38 percent less likely than non-Hispanics to have visited the doctor within the past year. The new Spanish-language campaign features everyday mothers and fathers whose children see them as superheroes and encourages Hispanic adults to be more involved in their health care, especially preventive care. Research has shown that people who are more involved in their health care tend to have better health outcomes.
View the press release from the AHRQ.
Visit the Web site for more information.
4) Minority Scholars Award applications due April 15
The AMA Foundation, in collaboration with the AMA-MAC and with support from the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative, is currently accepting applications for its Minority Scholars Awards. Interested students should contact their medical school dean—either the office of the dean or the dean’s designate—to submit nominations to the AMA Foundation for these scholarships.
5) Appointments and candidates for AMA-MAC Governing Council election announced
The AMA-MAC is pleased to announce candidates and appointments for its election taking place by electronic ballot April 14 through May 14. Candidate profiles will be available online starting the first week of the election. Only MAC members of the AMA are eligible to vote in the election and will receive a postcard early April with online voting instructions and a passcode.
Send an e-mail to Wilda Knox with questions.
View the list of candidates and appointments.
Renew your membership or join the AMA today.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Organized medical staff issues
1) 2008 AMA-OMSS Annual Assembly Meeting registration now live
The 2008 AMA-OMSS Annual Assembly Meeting will be held June 12–14 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.
Register online today.
2) Just launched: New webcast on investigating health information transformation
In light of the current national enthusiasm for electronic health records (EHR), the AMA-OMSS created a webcast that will help physicians identify their individual electronic record requirements. This webcast analyzes the strengths and possible pitfalls of current electronic history and physical designs and functionality, as well as offering potential remedies for identified problems. It also provides measures and benchmarks for evaluating a system’s ability to meet medical practice needs for quality care, compliance, usability, efficiency, data integrity and productivity. Finally, it provides a protocol and assesses the realistic manpower needs for the EHR transformation.
AMA members can view the webcast at no charge.
3) View webcast on revised Joint Commission Standard MS.1.20
The AMA-OMSS launched a new webcast on revised Standard MS.1.20 that addresses how medical staffs can successfully implement the revised Joint Commission Medical Staff Bylaws Standard MS.1.20 and provides an overview of the recently adopted revisions. Compliance with this standard by July 2009 is critical to preserving medical staff self-governance.
AMA members can view the webcast at no charge.
4) Check out most recent webcast on economic credentialing
Learn how to implement strategies to address the potential implementation of economic credentialing with the newest webcast from the AMA-OMSS. In addition, this webcast assists medical staffs in understanding legal issues involving economic credentialing policies and accessing physician/hospital rights and remedies and developing other methods for addressing physician/hospital disputes.
AMA members can view the webcast at no charge.
5) Webcast explores future of health care
What is the fundamental driving force affecting value in health care? A new webcast launched by the AMA-OMSS discusses and defines this question by exploring trends in their component parts (cost, access, quality and security of benefits) and describes future scenarios for health care, examining the implications for all health care stakeholders, including hospitals, physicians and local communities.
AMA members can view the webcast at no charge.
6) AMA-OMSS gearing up for its 2008–2010 governing council election
Interested in holding a leadership position within the AMA-OMSS? The AMA-OMSS Governing Council election for the 2008–2010 term will be held at the 2008 AMA-OMSS Annual Assembly Meeting in June.
Download an application. Applications are due May 14 to the attention of Kathleen Cole. Send an e-mail to Kathleen Cole or a fax to (312) 464-5845 with your application in order to be included in the online version of the 2008 AMA-OMSS Annual Assembly Meeting handbook. The online handbook will be available May 22; hard copies will be passed out at the meeting.
Visit the Web site for more information on AMA-OMSS Governing Council leadership opportunities and responsibilities.
7) Now available: “Physician’s guide to medical staff organization bylaws”
Because medical staff bylaws are considered a contract and are legally binding in most states, it is extremely important that they are well-designed and well-written. The fourth edition of the “Physician’s guide to medical staff organization bylaws” contains practical guidance on bylaws development, model bylaw language, information on emerging issues, and recent trends in medical staff re-engineering. The guide will be especially helpful to medical staffs as they update their bylaws to align with the revised Joint Commission Standard MS.1.20.
AMA members can view (PDF, 996KB) the guide at no charge. Non-AMA members will be able to purchase the guide in the coming weeks.
8) Printable version of “Principles for strengthening the physician-hospital relationship” available online
A printable version of the “Principles for strengthening the physician-hospital relationship,” developed by the AMA-OMSS and adopted by the AMA House of Delegates, is now available online.
View (PDF, 90KB) and download this resource. These principles are designed to improve the working relationship between physicians and hospitals, and ultimately foster better patient care and increase patient safety.
Send an e-mail to order a poster of the principles to post in your medical staff lounge.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Resident and fellow issues
1) Help create policy by submitting a resolution
The AMA-RFS is accepting resolution submissions to be considered at its Annual Assembly Meeting June 12–14. Resolutions must be faxed to (312) 464-5845 or e-mailed by May 1. Delegates can submit resolutions either as individuals or on behalf of a state or specialty society.
Visit the Web site for guidelines on writing resolutions or send an e-mail to Anu Gupta with questions.
2) Apply for AMA-RFS Convention Committees
Become more involved in the AMA-RFS by serving on a convention committee at the upcoming Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates in June. Positions are available on the AMA-RFS Reference, Credentials, Rules, Logistics and Hospitality committees.
Applications are due May 1.
3) View webcast on revised Joint Commission Standard MS.1.20
The AMA-OMSS launched a new webcast on revised Standard MS.1.20 that addresses how medical staffs can successfully implement the revised Joint Commission Medical Staff Bylaws Standard MS.1.20 and provides an overview of the recently adopted revisions. Compliance with this standard by July 2009 is critical to preserving medical staff self-governance.
AMA members can view the webcast at no charge.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Senior Physicians issues
1) In AMNews: Older physicians looking to trim work hours instead of retiring
Doctors 50 and older seek a better balance between their personal and professional lives, according to an article in American Medical News (AMNews). The Center for Workforce Studies at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) reports that 21 percent of physicians older than 50 worked part time and another 46 percent were considering going part time, or would if it were offered it as an option in their practice. The AAMC reported that 33 percent of physicians 50 and older reported they were likely to retire by age 60 and 69 percent said they would retire by age 65. Doctors might consider practicing longer if flexible scheduling or part-time hours allowed them to work fewer days, according to Edward Salsberg, the AAMC center’s director. Read the AMNews article.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Women physician and women's health issues
(brought to you by the AMA Women Physicians Congress)
1) Physician Mentor Recognition Program kicked off April 1
The AMA-WPC Physician Mentor Recognition Program gives you an opportunity to acknowledge other physicians who have made a difference in your professional life. Nominations forms are now available.
Download a nomination form.
2) CPE conference covers re-entry to practice
The Coalition for Physician Enhancement (CPE) is sponsoring a session, “The importance of physician assessment and enhancement in re-entry to practice,” April 10–11 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Visit the Web site for more information.
3) Candidates for AMA-WPC Governing Council election announced
The AMA-WPC is pleased to announce candidates for its governing council election. View a listing of the candidates. Candidates’ profiles will be available for viewing online starting the week of the election. The election will take place by electronic ballot April 14 through May 14.
AMA-WPC members will receive a postcard in early April with online voting instructions and a passcode. Please note that AMA membership is required to vote in this election.
Send an e-mail to Wilda Knox with questions.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Young physician issues
1) Check out new summary of AMA’s plan for expanding coverage and choice
Young physicians interested in promoting the AMA’s proposal for expanding health insurance coverage and choice should check out a new, two-page overview of the plan.
Download (PDF, 58KB) a copy of the overview.
Locate an assortment of materials on the AMA’s health care reform proposal.
2) AMA-YPS accepting nominations for its governing council
The AMA-YPS is currently accepting nominations for the following leadership positions on its governing council:
- Chair-elect, who will serve a three-year term: one year as chair-elect, one year as chair, and one year as immediate past chair
- Speaker, who will be elected to a one-year term in 2008 (beginning in June 2009, the speaker will be elected to a two-year term)
- Delegate, who will represent the AMA-YPS in the AMA House of Delegates for a two-year term
Download (Word, 73KB) a nomination form. Nomination forms received by April 14 will be available for viewing on the AMA-YPS Web site beginning April 15. After this date, nominations will be posted to the Web site as they are received by AMA-YPS staff.
Nominations will be accepted by fax or e-mail to the AMA-YPS until June 2, but after this date, nominations will only be accepted from the floor at the AMA-YPS Annual Assembly Meeting on June 13.
All terms of office will begin at the close of the 2008 Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates.
Learn more about AMA-YPS Governing Council positions and duties.
3) 2008 Community Service Award nominations due May 1
Through its annual Community Service Award, the AMA-YPS strives to not only recognize excellence in community service activities carried out by young physicians but to also encourage similar efforts by other doctors. Nomination forms for the 2008 Community Service Award are due May 1. Award recipients will be selected by the AMA-YPS Governing Council and honored for their work during the AMA-YPS Annual Assembly Meeting June 13.
Learn more and download an award nomination form.
4) In a public health emergency, who gets the critical care resources?
That's the tough question addressed in an article in the March issue of Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. The article provides ethical and clinical guidelines to follow in the event patients who need a ventilator outnumber available ventilators during an influenza pandemic. The guidelines include requirements that decisions be made jointly by multiple health care professionals to ensure fair allocation of ventilators and access to ventilators based solely on medical factors. The journal is published by the AMA in association with Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
View the March issue of Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness.
5) Watch your mail for Physician Practice Information survey
The AMA and more than 70 other organizations are conducting a comprehensive multi-specialty survey of America’s physician practices. The results will be used to positively influence national decision-makers to ensure accurate and fair representation for all physicians and patients, and to articulate the challenges of running a practice.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has indicated it will use the results of this study to help determine physician payment. The survey firm will contact randomly selected physicians and practice managers to collect responses. Please encourage your staff to make this information available, as the survey’s success depends on accurate and complete data. All responses will remain confidential.
>>Return to your news interest contents
General AMA news
1) Medicine makes “house call” on Congress
The medical community rallied on Capitol Hill on April 2 in support of S. 2785.As part of the conference, white coat–clad physicians, medical students and members of the AMA Alliance made a “house call” on Capitol Hill the morning of April 2 before meeting with their members of Congress. Chanting “We care, be fair,” they urged congressional support for the Save Medicare Act of 2008 (S. 2785), a bill that would prevent the steep cut in Medicare physician payments planned for July 1, retain current levels for the remainder of 2008 and enact a 1.8 percent increase in 2009.
The previous day, attendees heard from insiders on the legislative priorities for health care in the 110th Congress. Former White House press secretary Tony Snow drew peals of laughter with his lighthearted take on the upcoming presidential election. Later in the day, MSNBC’s Tucker Carlson and CNN’s Paul Begala gave their entertaining perspectives as well.
Sens. Tom Coburn, MD, R-Okla., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., spoke about the AMA’s health care agenda, challenging physicians to take action. “You’re either going to be working for the government or working for yourselves,” said Sen. Coburn. Over lunch, Sen. John Barrasso, MD, R-Wyo., a former member of the AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs, stressed the importance of physicians speaking as one on behalf of their patients, and the value of AMA membership and programs. The afternoon included a lineup of lawmakers who spoke about the importance of Medicare payment reform, including Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., a past recipient of the AMA’s Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service. Also on the dais were Reps. Michael Burgess, MD, R-Texas; Shelly Berkley, D-Nev.; and Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Fla., who spoke about the bill he introduced that would allow balance billing (H.R. 4736).
Download the AMA’s Medicare Physician Payment Action Kit and voice your support for S. 2785.
>>Return to your general news contents
2) Podcast outlines Medicare payment situation
The AMA has produced a five-minute podcast featuring an interview with AMA President-elect Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, who discusses the Save Medicare Act of 2008 (S. 2785). The podcast also outlines physicians’ concerns about seniors, baby boomers and military families if Medicare cuts payments to doctors in July as planned.
Listen to the podcast.
>>Return to your general news contents
3) New resource details ways physician practices can integrate to stay competitive
In a shifting environment in which physicians are under pressure to collect, track and report data about the quality of the care they provide, how can small practices develop the infrastructure needed to compete in today’s marketplace?
An increasing number of physicians are opting to collaborate with other independent—even competing—colleagues to respond to these pressures. In some cases, physician collaboration may allow physicians to jointly contract with health insurance companies and other third-party payers. Since some physicians may not be fully aware of these integration opportunities, the AMA has published the booklet “Competing in the marketplace: How physicians can improve quality and increase their value in the health care market through medical practice integration" (PDF, 1.19KB). Outlining various strategies for practice integration—including practice mergers, financial integration and clinical integration—this resource can help practices stay competitive while complying with antitrust laws. The booklet is a must-read for the 35 percent of office-based physicians who are in solo practice, or the 53 percent who practice in groups of two to 10. This and other resources about antitrust issues physicians face are available online for AMA members at no charge. Those who are unable to print can call (800) 621-8335 to obtain a courtesy copy.
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4) AMA supports call for transparency and accurate reporting among health insurers
The AMA commends the efforts of the Consumer-Purchaser Disclosure Project (CPDP) in drafting a set of principles to guide health insurers that attempt to rate physician performance. The CPDP, a coalition of business and consumer groups, developed the Patient Charter for Physician Performance Measurement, Reporting and Tiering Programs to provide guidelines that require insurers to be more transparent and balanced when providing information to patients.
“These crucial principles offer hope that patients will be able to trust the information to make informed health care choices,” AMA President-elect Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, said.
The guidelines, announced April 1, should raise the bar on the reliability and validity of information that insurers provide to patients, although additional work must be done to accurately and fairly evaluate the individual work of physicians.
“The AMA sees the Patient Charter as an important step in the right direction, and we offer our assistance in ensuring that its criteria are appropriate and measurable,” Dr. Nielsen said.
Learn more (PDF, 51KB) about these new guidelines.
Read Dr. Nielsen’s full statement.
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5) In JAMA: Mixed results in clinical trial of weight loss drug rimonabant on slowing progression of coronary disease
The anti-obesity medication rimonabant showed mixed results in slowing progression of coronary artery disease in patients with abdominal obesity and pre-existing coronary disease, according to a study in the April 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Read the study.
Preview a related editorial.
View the JAMA Report video about this study.
>>Return to your general news contents
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