Dec. 10, 2007: Table of Contents

American Medical News   vol. 50 no. 46
Top stories - Government - Profession - Business - Opinion - Health - 2007 index

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"Anything less than $35 million would send a clear message for insurers that breaking the law and leaving policyholders without health care is a great business decision," says California Medical Assn. spokeswoman Karen Nikos, noting that a $1 million fine Health Net will pay the state in a California Dept. of Managed Health Care investigation on insurance rescission practices is not enough.

INSIDE THIS WEEK Measuring out medicine A new book looks at how one group of heart surgeons makes decisions, deals with pressure and interacts with patients and colleagues. In Profession The road to recovery Despite the challenges of caring for veterans of today's wars, the VA health system is getting high quality marks. In Government Personnel history Human resources experts advise that even the smallest practices keep personnel files on employees. But these files must contain (and omit) the right information. In Business

Top stories

Physicians challenge lawyers' meritless liability suits -- and win
More doctors are discovering they have some recourse through countersuits or other legal tactics to hold lawyers accountable.

Insurers see veterans' care as growth business
Health plans are positioning for government contracts to provide mental health care and other services to a growing number of wounded soldiers and their families.

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Government & Medicine

VA health care quality: The road to recovery
Despite the challenges of caring for the veterans of today's wars, the VA health system is getting high marks for quality.

Doctor organizations' concerns put brakes on health IT bill
The medical societies say quality measures should be developed in an open process with doctors' input.

HHS appeals court order to give claims data to consumer groups
The department said it supports health care transparency but has been unable to reconcile the ruling with a conflicting past court opinion on the issue.

Government news briefs:

• Top Medicare drug plans cutting their formularies
• Pharmacy associations sue CMS over Medicaid pay
• R.I. health system reform meetings begin

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Professional Issues

Measuring out medicine (book excerpt: The Surgeons: Life and Death in a Top Heart Center)
New York writer Charles R. Morris followed heart surgeons at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia in New York City to see how they work.

Stem cell breakthrough uses skin cells rather than embryos
The new method meets with presidential approval, but some scientists say they need to continue embryo research.

AMA lays honors on doctors, society leaders
Physicians and medical society executives received awards at the Interim Meeting.

Oklahoma stops repaying medical school loans
Lawmakers still pledge $5.5 million in other programs designed to attract physicians to rural areas.

Quick View: Tracking MRSA

Quick View: Personality can guide specialty choice

In the Courts: Lawsuit leads clinic to drop patient, family

Professional Issues news briefs:

• ICU outcome shapes relatives' experiences
• Michigan insurer to cut rates in 2008
• Pittsburgh medical school, hospital set new policies for drug rep interactions

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Business

Personnel history: What to keep -- and what to keep out
Experts advise even the smallest practices to keep personnel files on employees. But these files must contain (and omit) the right information.

More health plans agree to New York model for physician rankings
Multistate plans pledging more transparency and quality-based ratings say they will apply those standards nationwide.

California fines plan for failing to reveal policy cancellation incentive
California regulators are investigating other insurers and tightening regulations to limit individual insurance rescission. Meanwhile, a new law gives doctors protection.

"Free" EMR system comes with fee for support services
Practice Fusion changes its Web site to reflect those charges in its offering to physicians.

Few in online medical community choose ".md"
Registrations for this Internet domain extension remain low, but some still see opportunity in what is being pitched as a medical-specific Web presence.

Business news briefs:

• ReachMD, Sermo strike deal
• Fla. area gets tech grant
• Retail clinic chain expands

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Tax credits for EMRs
The new AMA policy aims to address cost concerns that have kept many physicians from buying health information technology.

Letters:

• ACPM: Ask lawmakers now to fund preventive medicine residencies

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Health & Science

Flu vaccine plentiful, a change from the past
Physicians say it's no longer necessary to prioritize who gets shots, and public health officials are talking about recommending them for everyone.

Studies link pill to increased heart risks; but positives still outweigh negatives
Oral contraceptives may also slightly increase chance of cervical cancer, but experts say these papers are not reason enough to discontinue it.

Number of diagnosed STDs is growing
The boost may come from unsafe sex, increased testing, improved diagnostic technology and emerging drug resistance.

Health news briefs:

• CHD deaths steady in younger men, rising in younger women
• Diabetes and co-existing diseases
• CA-MRSA study targets new strains
• New boxed warning for Avandia

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