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Question about a medical condition? That's not our field. But we can suggest some
places to look. Government & Medicine 2008
Running out of patches? Options for fixing the Medicare pay crisis - Dec. 29Health IT near top of Democrats' agenda for 2009 - Dec. 29Patient privacy at stake in Ohio abortion case - Dec. 29Health plans will guarantee coverage, if insurance is mandated - Dec. 29CMS proposes no-pay rules for 3 surgical errors - Dec. 22Federal court dismisses New Jersey suit over SCHIP limits - Dec. 22HHS sets rules for confidential medical error reporting system - Dec. 15Courts in 2 states rule on reach of HIPAA in medical liability cases - Dec. 15Medical homes get boost in Louisiana Medicaid reform effort - Dec. 15Medicare e-prescribing: How to receive your 2% bonus - Dec. 15Senate gets early start on health reform plan - Dec. 8Medicaid pay delays found to squeeze access - Dec. 8Health care fraud still a key target of federal False Claims Act - Dec. 8Obama taps former Senate chief Daschle to head HHS - Dec. 8Pushing past the placebo: Legislating for a new kind of clinical trials - Dec. 1Court rejects Medicare limits on Part B drug pay - Dec. 1Quick View: Cost seen as biggest obstacle to employer-offered insurance - Dec. 1
Obama win accelerates drive for health system reform - Nov. 24Medicare finalizes 1.1% pay raise, bonus criteria - Nov. 24CMS criticized for lax enforcement of HIPAA security rules - Nov. 24AMA survey results: Medicare rated as poor performer during debut of pay-for-reporting - Nov. 17Rhode Island seeks Medicaid overhaul, cap on spending - Nov. 17Uninsured patients not driving ED overcrowding, study says - Nov. 17Lack of interest derails Medicare B drug program - Nov. 10Hospital can share P4P bonus with physicians, OIG says - Nov. 10Pennsylvania health system reform hits snag over coverage, liability help - Nov. 10Caught unaware, doctors get delay in FTC enforcement of ID theft rules - Nov. 3Slow adoption of e-prescribing forces Medicare to try hard sell - Nov. 3When incentives lack appeal: Medicaid reform meets confusion, skepticism - Nov. 3Mental health coverage to see boost as long-sought parity law is enacted - Oct. 27Doctor faces tight congressional race in attempt to keep Maryland's Eastern Shore red - Oct. 27Court upholds San Francisco employer insurance mandate - Oct. 27Trend of Medicaid pay increases is expected to end as states struggle - Oct. 20Illinois court rejects plan for expanding health coverage - Oct. 20New waiver continues Massachusetts health insurance pools - Oct. 20Quick View: Medicare premiums stable - Oct. 20
Doctors decry payment delays after Medicare overhauls carrier system - Oct. 13Baucus previews uninsured debate for next Congress - Oct. 13Premiums for job-offered health insurance up 5% this year - Oct. 13Court dismisses Arkansas specialty hospital's lawsuit - Oct. 13Medicare pay-for-reporting effort draws fire from frustrated doctors - Oct. 6As elections near, AMA spotlights uninsured issue - Oct. 6Certificate-of-need law in Illinois slammed by feds, AMA - Oct. 6House EHR bill mixes Medicare physician bonuses with cuts - Oct. 6Revised language in proposed HHS rule still bolsters abortion conscience laws - Sept. 22/29Employer health insurance mandate on Colorado ballot - Sept. 22/29Hospital loses latest fight over tax-exempt status - Sept. 22/29Uninsured tally dips to 45.7 million, with more covered by government - Sept. 15Medicare greatly underestimated DME fraud, oversight agency says - Sept. 15Oct. 1 deadline looms for 3 Medicaid prescription security features - Sept. 15CMS delays enforcing limits on SCHIP funding - Sept. 15Doctors must accept arbitration in Missouri price-fixing case - Sept. 15Practices hit Medicare P4P quality targets, but bonuses still fall short - Sept. 8CMS calls for transition to ICD-10 codes in 3 years - Sept. 8Physician ties to medical device firms probed - Sept. 8Hispanics' lack of medical home goes beyond access, insurance - Sept. 1Campaign case report: What Obama and McCain pledge to do about the health system - Sept. 1Georgia Medicaid program challenged in courts - Sept. 1Massachusetts law requires drug firm gift details, uniform billing codes - Sept. 1Final Medicare no-pay rule targets 10 hospital-acquired conditions - Aug. 25House Democrats silence Medicare alarm, but long-term funding still unresolved - Aug. 25Medicare buoyed by demo success after audits collect $700 million - Aug. 25Medicare DME bidding program on hold - Aug. 18Ruling puts South Dakota abortion consent law into effect - Aug. 18Disagreements slow progress on biogenerics legislation - Aug. 11Georgia doctors sue for access to United's contracts with state plan - Aug. 11SCHIP eligibility limits to take effect - Aug. 11E-prescribers see Medicare bonus, but late adopters will face pay cut - Aug. 4Dead doctors' IDs used to bilk Medicare - Aug. 4Former Senate leaders join forces on health system reform - Aug. 4More New Jersey parents eligible for SCHIP - Aug. 4Medicare 10.6% pay cut reversed as Congress overrides Bush veto - July 28Supreme Court tightens scope of False Claims Act - July 28House bill seeks to speed up adoption of health IT systems - July 28Quick View: Despite tax debts, Medicare still pays - July 28
Health care access problems surge among insured Americans - July 21Settlement proposed in Medicaid/Part D case - July 21Suit aims to block Hawaii's plan to shift blind, elderly, disabled on Medicaid into managed care - July 216 rules cutting Medicaid delayed until 2009 - July 21Medicare launches personal health records for South Carolina residents - July 21Medicare double-delay: Senate fails to act, CMS holds physician claims - July 14New Medicare hospice rules aim to boost physicians' role - July 14Criminal HIPAA case targets employee, not clinic, for breach - July 14Medicare audit overreach? Doctors think so, but audits aren't going away - July 7Colorado adopts doctor rating standards, health system reforms - July 7CMS selects communities for Medicare EHR bonus pilot project - July 7Quick View: The young and the uninsured - July 7
Senators split on plans to avert pay cuts - June 23/30Most in Massachusetts met individual insurance mandate - June 23/30Texas IPA's contract talks are price-fixing, appeals court rules - June 23/30EMTALA flexibility proposed to relieve on-call shortages - June 16Group issues final definitions for health IT terminology - June 16Illinois Medicaid paid physicians too slowly, state audit says - June 16Minnesota adopts bill creating medical homes - June 16Quick View: Study: Spending more on Medicare doesn't raise satisfaction - June 16
Organized medicine calls on court to block Nevada health plan merger - June 9California doctors sue to block Medicaid cuts - June 9Law prohibits employer and insurer genetic discrimination - June 9Help at hand for poor patients' Medicare prescription drug costs - June 9Higher Medicare pay earmarked for practices in medical home trial - June 2Individual health insurance: Are mandates ready for prime time? - June 2Florida passes bill to boost private health coverage for uninsured - June 2Louisiana Senate passes liability protections for disaster responders - June 2Doctors still can try for bonuses as Medicare expands quality reporting - May 26Newest doctor on the Hill hopes to boost focus on the uninsured - May 26White House asks for Medicare bill by mid-June - May 26After 13 years, Congress OKs genetic bias ban - May 19EMR deadline does not compute: Falling short of 2014 goals - May 19Quick View: Medicare health plan pay headed up - May 19
NPI deadline: Insurers won't pay claims with old IDs after May 23 - May 12Rulings limit patients' ability to sue device firms, drugmakers - May 12CMS seeks to add 9 hospital-acquired conditions to no-pay list - May 12MedPAC advises raising primary care pay - May 5GAO: CMS violated law with SCHIP eligibility directive - May 5State-by-state analysis ties lack of insurance to earlier death - May 5AMA urges more safeguards in federal patient safety rules - May 5Quick View: Practice trends influencing charity care - May 5
Part D standards aim to encourage e-prescribing - April 28House panel OKs bill to delay Medicaid cuts - April 28Medicare disease-management pilot faces closure over costs - April 28New York awards $105 million in health IT projects - April 28Physicians press lawmakers to stop Medicare pay cuts - April 21More physicians backing national coverage -- study - April 21Court blocks broad subpoena of patient records - April 21Stolen laptop compromises privacy of NIH study subjects - April 21Latest Medicare projections renew alarm on long-term sustainability - April 14Federal court rejects challenge of abortion-refusal law - April 14Pennsylvania House bill expands subsidized plans, phases out liability fund - April 14ACOG may redo abortion conscience policy - April 14Medicare pay bill: Raises to replace cuts through 2009 - April 7Employer mandates hit legal snag, states continue to search for options - April 7Florida Supreme Court lifts past peer review confidentiality - April 7Uniform IT definitions proposed to promote understanding - April 7Massachusetts hikes premiums for state-subsidized health plans by 10% - April 7Physicians face Medicaid's April 1 deadline for tamper-proof Rx pads - March 24/31House passes mental health parity bill - March 24/31Colorado Senate OKs increase, changes to state's liability cap - March 24/31MedPAC report adds momentum to push for 2009 Medicare pay hike - March 17Medicare quality reporting called a promising start - March 17Senate hearing questions doctors' ties to medical device makers - March 17Physicians can become entangled in DME fraud - March 17Rules aim for better patient safety through confidential error reports - March 10Health reform update: Transparency hot, state mandates not - March 10California reverses course, adopts 10% physician Medicaid pay cut - March 10House passes partial forgiveness for medical student loans - March 10Bush eyes EMRs, P4P to slow Medicare spending - March 3HIT budget plan criticized as insufficient - March 3Lawsuit hits medical access post-Katrina - March 3Washington state doctors, physical therapists battle over referrals - March 3Medicare Advantage sales tactics draw fire as Senate panel investigates - Feb. 25Parity, genetic privacy bills face snags - Feb. 25Survey: Patients harmed by anemia drug policy - Feb. 25Bush budget cuts hospital funding but silent on Medicare doctor pay - Feb. 18Health system reform stumbles in California - Feb. 18OIG approves hospital plans to share cost savings with doctors - Feb. 18Senate to act on Indian Health Service funding - Feb. 18Wellness programs cannot discriminate based on health - Feb. 18State of the Union message: Bush seeks insurance tax deduction - Feb. 11Massachusetts health system reform feeling the pinch - Feb. 11Senate Finance panel developing 18-month Medicare pay package - Feb. 4AMA takes uninsured campaign nationwide - Feb. 4Court gives temporary OK to San Francisco "pay or play" law - Feb. 4Georgia exempts general surgery centers from CON rules - Feb. 4Health spending outlay tops $2 trillion, but spending growth on doctors declines - Jan. 28Many physicians will still be hit by AMT - Jan. 28HHS: Specialty hospitals violated Medicare rule - Jan. 28CMS denials of state Medicaid expansions fuel confusion - Jan. 28Time tight in Medicare fight to defend some pay provisions, block add-ons - Jan. 212008 NIH budget nearly flat -- again - Jan. 21Suit opposes Medicare denials of off-label, non-compendia drugs - Jan. 21Bill aims to improve health literacy - Jan. 21Quick View: Big firms less receptive to health reforms - Jan. 21
Medicare to require physicians to use new ID numbers on March 1 - Jan. 14It's doctor vs. doctor in race to represent Florida in U.S. House - Jan. 14Pennsylvania liability fund may be used to cover uninsured - Jan. 14New Jersey court sends blow to doctor-owned surgery centers - Jan. 14Quick View: High medical costs signal underlying problems - Jan. 14
Congress OKs temporary reprieve on Medicare pay cut, renews SCHIP - Jan. 7Seen from the extremes: Uninsureds' effect on medicine - Jan. 7Congress considers mandate for Medicare e-prescribing - Jan. 7 Last year's stories - Back to top
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Professional Issues 2008
Liability premium outlook improves as many physicians see lower rates - Dec. 29Montana court OKs doctor-assisted suicide - Dec. 29Defensive medicine widespread among Massachusetts doctors - Dec. 29AAMC report says 30% med school enrollment hike is not enough - Dec. 29New partnership targets health care quality - Dec. 29Ethics Forum: Helping patients who are victims of abuse - Dec. 29
IOM urges more rest for residents in push to improve patient safety. - Dec. 22Illness interrupts (book excerpt: Life in the Balance ) - Dec. 22State societies warn of primary care shortages - Dec. 22New Hampshire ban on sale of prescribing data upheld - Dec. 22Many doctors say they offer OTC meds or other placebos - Dec. 15Illinois high court hears challenge to state medical liability cap - Dec. 15Doctors urge: Rescue primary care or work force shortage will mount - Dec. 8Going high profile: Medical boards push transparency - Dec. 8Doctor, med society executive honored for decades of service - Dec. 8In the Courts: Supreme Court cases on medical issues rare, but crucial - Dec. 8
AMA meeting: Delegates back medical home, want pay issues resolved - Dec. 1Court to rule on drug labels as liability shield - Dec. 1Study favors use of national health ID numbers for patients - Dec. 1AMA meeting: Reforming SGR tops Association's Medicare agenda for 2009 - Dec. 1AMA meeting: Texting while driving, trans fats on hit list - Dec. 1AMA meeting: Disruptive behavior standard draws fire - Dec. 1AMA meeting: Doctors told to reveal financial stake in referrals - Dec. 1AMA meeting: Delegates weigh ethics committee's role - Dec. 1AMA meeting: Global warming has health toll, delegates warn - Dec. 1Ethics Forum: Finding the right approach to EPT - Dec. 1
AMA Immediate Past President Ron Davis, MD, succumbs to pancreatic cancer - Nov. 24Washington becomes 2nd state to allow physician-assisted suicide - Nov. 24Med copter deaths intensify calls to enforce safety rules - Nov. 17Drugmakers vow to disclose their payments to physicians - Nov. 17Doctors fight balance-billing ban on out-of-network costs - Nov. 17Judging genetic risks: Physicians often caught between what patients want and what science offers - Nov. 10Med schools report record enrollments, more minorities - Nov. 10California law mandates discussing end-of-life options - Nov. 10In the Courts: Use of shared peer review findings is questioned - Nov. 10
More hospitals start palliative care programs - Nov. 3Board settlement can't be used in Minnesota liability trial - Nov. 3Ethics Forum: Hospitalist, generalist: How they balance care - Nov. 3
The reflective essayist (book excerpt: The Uncertain Art ) - Oct. 27Polls show Washington voters favor physician-assisted suicide - Oct. 27Elections seen as turning point for stem cell studies - Oct. 204 doctors awarded MacArthur genius grants - Oct. 20Medical student stress and burnout leave some with thoughts of suicide - Oct. 20Other nations, other answers: In search of a solution to the organ shortage - Oct. 13California court rejects how hospital applied privileges rule - Oct. 13In the Courts: Case pits anti-bias law against doctors' rights - Oct. 13
Florida high court rejects curb on medical staff rights - Oct. 6Trade group's "accreditation" could confuse medical tourists - Oct. 6Drug samples can mean fewer generic prescriptions for the uninsured - Oct. 6Quick View: Liability reform and better ob-gyn access - Oct. 6
Ethics Forum: When it's OK to say: No new patients - Oct. 6
HHS site invites public to compare mortality rates at 4,700 hospitals - Sept. 22/29Courts examine peer review: Maintaining a proper sense of balance - Sept. 22/29Court OKs Health Net deal over out-of-network pay - Sept. 22/29Sponges, surgical instruments miscounted in 13% of surgeries - Sept. 22/29Researchers urge pay for egg donors - Sept. 152,700 apply for Florida medical school's tuition-free offer - Sept. 15Report amplifies call for care in underserved areas - Sept. 15Texas liability reforms spur plunge in premiums and lawsuits - Sept. 8Time to get tough? States increasingly offer ways to opt out of vaccine mandates - Sept. 8Legal risk for prescribing painkillers is small, study says - Sept. 8In the Courts: Attempt to remove bullet leads to lawsuit - Sept. 8
Nevada ruling may compound end-of-life care decisions - Sept. 1Work-hour limits found to create little respite for residents - Sept. 1Medical blog analysis fuels call for standards - Sept. 1Ethics Forum: Medical blogs: Who are they good for? - Sept. 1
Tons of donated medical texts sent to war zones in Afghanistan and Iraq - Aug. 25Unexpected connections (book excerpt: The Light Within ) - Aug. 25Most states said to have good rules on pain medicines - Aug. 25Academic leaders work to ease work force crisis - Aug. 25New Joint Commission standard tells hospitals to squelch disruptive behaviors - Aug. 18California courts to sort out balance-billing issues - Aug. 18Psychiatrists scrutinize APA's revenues from drug industry - Aug. 18Quick View: Uninsured problem lowers U.S. health system's performance score - Aug. 18
Hospitals shine light on mistakes by publicly saying: "We're sorry" - Aug. 11Ethics consultants get doses of realism through simulations - Aug. 11Missouri court says midwives can continue to practice - Aug. 11P4P found to have little impact on care quality - Aug. 4Kansas court enforces noncompete clause - Aug. 4Ethics panel may back universal coverage, ponders access as a "moral imperative" - Aug. 4Ethics Forum: Assessing self-neglect in older patients - Aug. 4
Drug industry: No more free pens, pads or mugs - July 28Med school for judges: A crash course in medical litigation - July 28AMA apologizes for past inequality against black doctors - July 28Massachusetts doctors challenge liability insurance analysis - July 28Doctors let TV series document their world - July 21Exception to statute of limitations upheld in Georgia - July 21Medicare's no-pay events: Coping with the complications - July 14Teaching hospitals, residencies win reprieve on Medicaid cuts - July 14California bill would mandate discussions of end-of-life options - July 14AMA meeting: AMA grades health plans on how they handle claims - July 7AMA meeting: Delegates decry CMS no-pay list as unrealistic and call for revision - July 7Massachusetts doctors sue, saying ranking program is flawed - July 7AMA tool kit helps doctors measure, boost patient comprehension - July 7Military sweetens the deal to entice medical students - July 7AMA meeting: Physicians demand greater oversight of doctors of nursing - July 7AMA meeting: Guidelines target safety of medical tourists - July 7AMA meeting: Increasing use of Tasers prompts safety review - July 7AMA meeting: Doctors oppose mandatory drug reporting laws - July 7AMA meeting: Delegates explore on-call coverage, at-home genetic tests - July 7AMA meeting: AMA OKs palliative sedation for terminally ill - July 7AMA meeting: Delegates respond to rising student debt - July 7AMA meeting: AMA clarifies plan on tax credits for insurance - July 7AMA meeting: Resident work hours stir passionate debate - July 7AMA meeting: Delegates seek to change law on organ donor incentives - July 7Ethics Forum: An ethics consult can help build consensus - July 7
Therapeutic thought (book excerpt: The Cure Within ) - June 23/30Medical schools on target to reach enrollment goals - June 23/30Minorities underrepresented in California doctor work force - June 23/30IMGs, other visa holders in Michigan free to drive again - June 23/30Medical testing board to introduce doctor of nursing certification - June 16National safety effort targets perinatal injuries - June 16New rule excludes medical graduates from federal loan deferment plan - June 16FDA drug safety review to start with Medicare - June 16Quick View: Barriers to prescribing opioids - June 16
Formula for rationing care: Task forces plan for disaster - June 9Gearing up for a graying generation: Training more doctors in geriatrics skills - June 9AMA encourages future physicians - June 9Blues HMO ordered to pay hospital pathologists - June 9Cap on noneconomic damages is unconstitutional, Georgia judge says - June 2Shortage of general surgeons is straining some facilities - June 2Ethics Forum: Obese patients benefit from supportive environment - June 2
Med schools asked to shun drug firm freebies - May 26Tinkering with patents: Decisions muddy the waters on legal rights - May 26Study: Med schools can boost rural physician supply - May 26Heart surgeon pioneer wins highest civilian honor - May 19AMA to help monitor Blues settlement - May 19Hospitalized kids found at risk for drug errors - May 19Doctor disciplinary actions down for 3rd year - May 12Oregon still stands alone: Ten years of physician-assisted suicide - May 12Harvard offers discount on med school tuition - May 12In the Courts: Transplant surgeon faces criminal charge for donor's quick death - May 12
Baby boomer time bomb: Too many aging patients, too few geriatricians - May 5Lawyers' misconduct triggers new liability trials - May 5Public pleas for organs fuel ethical qualms - May 5Physicians examine the role of annual checkups in prevention - May 5Texas court finds board exceeded its authority and podiatrists' scope - May 5Quick View: Part-time doctors - May 5
Ethics Forum: Ambiguously ill pose challenge for doctors - May 5
U.S. report finds sluggish increases in quality of care - April 28Foiling a fake (book excerpt: Charlatan ) - April 28Hospital told to check bylaws on exclusive deals - April 28Advanced-practice nurses seek wider scope in 24 states - April 21Patients generally pleased with hospital care - April 21Minnesota physician can sue doctors critical of courtroom testimony - April 21Schools urged to police financial ties - April 21Quick View: Resident work-hour violations are up - April 21
Fighting spirit: AMNews interviews Ron Davis, MD - April 14Similar drug-name pairs nearly double 2004 tally - April 14Quick View: Reportable events often go unreported - April 14
In the Courts: Expert who changed mind claims immunity, but plaintiffs still sue - April 14
Resident Match breaks records for applicants and couples - April 7Missouri Supreme Court: Doctors can sue if hospitals ignore bylaws in privileging issues - April 7Ethics Forum: Ask questions before working at retail clinics - April 7
Is their integrity on the line when doctors pitch products? - March 24/31Students lose empathy for patients during medical school - March 24/31Insurers feel backlash over policy cancellations - March 17Older physicians trim hours in lieu of retiring - March 17CMS metric may prompt excessive antibiotic use - March 17California medical students to get court-ordered tuition refunds - March 17Quick View: To err is human, to report is hard - March 17
Jinx of the J-1 visa: IMGs finding other paths to residency - March 10Michigan patient safety study gets HHS approval to resume - March 10More schools teaching spirituality in medicine - March 10Depressed residents make more drug errors - March 10In the Courts: Informed consent at heart of New York lawsuit - March 10
AMA analysis reaffirms: Tort reforms work - March 3Program helps Hispanic IMGs qualify for U.S. residencies - March 3Medical identity theft is often an "inside job" - March 3More heart transplants done, better outcomes - March 3Ethics Forum: How to handle a prejudiced patient - March 3
Finding one's place (book excerpt: Intern: A Doctor's Initiation ) - Feb. 25Dual-doctor family in progress: Son follows mom to med school - Feb. 25Medical staff members help end problems at California hospital - Feb. 25Study questions impact of quality report cards - Feb. 18Georgia Blues plan sued under any-willing-provider law - Feb. 18Going to extremes: Doctoring desert runners - Feb. 18IOM panel seeks program to evaluate research, guidelines - Feb. 18Michigan law bars some IMGs from driving - Feb. 18Bulletproof bylaws: Maintaining the right to protect doctors -- and patients - Feb. 11New plan would require D.C. drug detailers to be licensed - Feb. 11California appeals court rules against insurer's rescission practices - Feb. 11Court allows suit against doctor over drug effects - Feb. 4HHS shuts down Michigan patient safety study - Feb. 4ED wait times increasing, even for AMIs, other emergent cases - Feb. 4Ethics Forum: Research in hospice possible, even helpful - Feb. 4
Willing, but waiting: Hospital ethics committees - Jan. 28Economists' study says paying for organs would cut wait lists - Jan. 28Doctors use placebos but don't tell patients - Jan. 28Study ties hospitalist care to shorter patient stays - Jan. 28Quick View: Who stays in-state after training? - Jan. 28
California court rules against insurer over policy cancellations - Jan. 21Call these doctors by their calling - Jan. 21New ACOG position on abortion refusal drawing fire - Jan. 21Flood of new medical schools filling accreditation pipeline - Jan. 21Pfizer donates "Great Moments in Medicine" art series to Michigan medical school - Jan. 14California law extends whistle-blower protections - Jan. 14California medical schools tailor programs for diverse populations - Jan. 14Med schools adjusting to millennial students - Jan. 14Aerospace medicine gearing up for tourists in space - Jan. 14CT scans implicated in 2% of cancers - Jan. 7Doctor to oversee hospital experience - Jan. 7No pay for "never event" errors becoming standard - Jan. 7Ethics Forum: Tell patients about gifts? Or just say no? - Jan. 7
Last year's stories - Back to top
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Business 2008
Tech-savvy med students fear life without EMRs - Dec. 29Model law banning silent PPOs could serve as draft for state legislatures - Dec. 29Helping students, residents find or sell a home - Dec. 29United subsidiary launches consumer Web site - Dec. 29Wikipedia often misses important drug facts - Dec. 29Practice Management: Check fine print before selling your practice - Dec. 29
Practice Pointers: How to handle the transition to a new office manager - Dec. 29
Taking it to the bank: A new strategy for health plans - Dec. 22Usefulness of home monitoring devices studied - Dec. 22Most patients rely on word of mouth when picking a new doctor - Dec. 22Economy sends physicians to hospitals for help - Dec. 15Preparing for disaster: How would your practice cope? - Dec. 15Google uses online queries to see where flu interest is peaking - Dec. 15Contract Language: Make sure your patient's consent is truly informed - Dec. 15
Go tech go: Championing new health IT - Dec. 8Doctors want further scrutiny of Horizon for-profit conversion - Dec. 8Technically Speaking: Adopting e-prescribing with an EMR is challenging - Dec. 8
Laws bolster penalties for privacy breaches in California - Dec. 1Maryland doctors warn about Blues' pay cuts - Dec. 1Practice Management: Best approach to retaliation suit: Don't let it happen - Dec. 1
Quick View: What bosses want: Accuracy with health insurance claims tops the list - Dec. 1
Practice Pointers: Tough economic times call for vigilant business sense - Dec. 1
Health plans feel economic pain, brace for more - Nov. 24Finding the right floor: How much should insurers spend on medical care? - Nov. 24Michigan medical society to launch health IT exchange - Nov. 24Developer offers concierge care to luxury condo buyers - Nov. 24Tourniquet designed for fingers and toes - Nov. 24Bottom line blues (MGMA annual meeting) - Nov. 17Contract Language: Pay for referrals may be illegal as well as unethical - Nov. 17
Doctors tally the economic value practices bring to communities - Nov. 10Selling the subsidy: Questions remain on hospital-physician IT collaboration - Nov. 10Technically Speaking: Merging practices find IT may not blend well - Nov. 10
Medical travel doesn't have to be overseas - Nov. 3Pennsylvania ponders final comments on proposed insurance deal - Nov. 3Doctors' punch line: biopsies made easier - Nov. 3Practice Management: Survive the credit crisis by keeping on top of finances - Nov. 3
Guarding their treasure: Health plans try to hold on to financial reserves - Oct. 27Practice Pointers: 4 areas you can look to for lost profits - Oct. 27
Divided by duty: While a doctor serves the country, the practice must still serve patients - Oct. 20Contract Language: Check filing requirements when retaining PAs, NPs - Oct. 20
Is your EMR legal? A document can look like a medical record, but not meet the legal definition. - Oct. 13Tenn. Blues reboots physician rating program - Oct. 13Technically Speaking: "Smart" technology moving to clinics, physician offices - Oct. 13
Survey looks at impact of health risk assessments - Oct. 6Studies produce no consensus on Pa. Blues merger - Oct. 6Former CEO to pay United investors $30 million - Oct. 6Practice Management: Your bank may need a wellness check - Oct. 6
Will New Jersey Blues filing prompt for-profit rush? - Sept. 22/29Putting on the charm: Insurers try a new tack to sell themselves - Sept. 22/29Florida law takes on overpayment claims, assignment of benefits - Sept. 22/29Retail clinic targets Hispanic population, cultural differences - Sept. 22/29Doctor's magnetic invention raises cane - Sept. 22/29Practice Pointers: Staying attuned to employee needs can lower turnover - Sept. 22/29
Goodwill hunting: What's your practice worth? - Sept. 15Insurers focus earnings discussion on the future - Sept. 15Contract Language: Separation plan needed when physician leaves practice - Sept. 15
Parallel universe: Entering an online 3-D world - Sept. 8Surgical plates make a fashion statement - Sept. 8Technically Speaking: Before you buy, evaluate the vendor's responsiveness - Sept. 8
Quick View: Paper perceived safer than e-records - Sept. 8
Virtual medicine: Companies using webcams for real-time patient encounters - Sept. 1Pennsylvania Blues merger could hinge on definition of market - Sept. 1Practice Management: Metal theft can disrupt physician office - Sept. 1
Who's behind the card? Plans sometimes administer, rather than insure - Aug. 25Practice Pointers: Office manager is struggling; now what? - Aug. 25
Quick View: Biggest challenges facing groups - Aug. 25
Greening your practice: Cutting costs while conserving energy - Aug. 18Medical schools, research groups to offer content for new online resource - Aug. 18Contract Language: Examine buy-in provisions of employment agreements - Aug. 18
Setting the pace: A case study of how the Indiana Health Information Exchange works - Aug. 11Blues plans settle rescission cases in California - Aug. 11Technically Speaking: Automation seen to aid informed consent - Aug. 11
Doctor's invention sprang from patient need - Aug. 4Former CareFirst CEO's severance package cut in half - Aug. 4Aetna tries paying patients to take their meds - Aug. 4Practice Management: Do you need an MBA, or are there alternatives? - Aug. 4
Insurers are the new worried well (America's Health Insurance Plans annual meeting) - July 28United settles lawsuits, warns of falling profits - July 28Practice Pointers: A lockbox service can protect your practice's cash - July 28
Making the practice switch: One doctor became an employee, the other started his own office - July 21Marshfield Clinic puts its EHR on the market - July 21Report details how much insurers spend on care in California - July 21Contract Language: Job hunting? Cast wide net, read contract - July 21
Know your EMR needs (Towards the Electronic Patient Record conference) - July 14States rapped for lax regulation of individual insurance market - July 14Privacy framework for personal health records developed - July 14Technically Speaking: One answer to EMR data entry: Hire a scribe to do it - July 14
Ministries offer bill-sharing as insurance alternative - July 7Aetna requires doctors to opt out of workers' compensation network - July 7PHR vendors bypass patients, pitch to business - July 7For-profit hospitals find ways to cut the bad debt they carry - July 7Practice Management: A successful sabbatical can take years of planning - July 7
Practice Pointers: Assess benefits in hiring management firm - July 7
Patients rarely use online ratings to pick physicians - June 23/30What's in their wallets? Health plan executives bring home the bucks - June 23/30Revitalizing dead space: Finding an innovative place for your practice - June 16Aetna vows to continue settlement terms - June 16More Americans find insurance pays for visits to retail clinics - June 16Contract Language: How to put together a nurse practitioner contract - June 16
Twilight of the beeper: Today's technology offers other ways of keeping connected - June 9Google enters personal health record market - June 9Connecticut puts restrictions on silent PPOs - June 9Technically Speaking: "Vaccine against libel" could have some side effects - June 9
Social networking etiquette: Making virtual acquaintances - June 2E-prescribing campaign aims at patients to reach doctors - June 22 California insurers agree to cover members with rescinded policies - June 2Practice Management: Some physicians charge deposits to curb no-shows - June 2
Misfortune telling: Folding together data to forecast your patients' health futures - May 26Hospitals underrate malicious intent in data breaches - May 26Health plans say they'll risk losing members to protect profit margins - May 19Relative risk: Keeping financial enterprise all in the family - May 19Ohio hospital pays patients for bills from competing facilities - May 19Calculate your ideal patient load: How to strike the correct balance - May 12Kentucky measure calls for clearer contracts for doctors, plans - May 12Smokers' suspensions spotlight incentive plans - May 12EMR success stories: Practices that are thriving after the changeover - May 5Colorado moves to regulate tiered networks - May 5Contract Language: Use your practice contract to ease into retirement - May 5
Boomer loyalty: Insurers draw on a little help from their friends to market pre-Medicare coverage - April 28Walgreens enters work-site clinic market - April 28Doctor-staffed retail clinics to open - April 28Walk-ins welcome, but only if they're healthy - April 28Insurers reach accord on P4P principles; standards still to be worked out - April 21Crimeproof your practice: How to improve office safety - April 21Online feedback site adds doctor category - April 21United has dropped some doctors in retainer practices - April 21Practice Pointers: Simple steps can maximize efficient use of office space - April 21
Ohio mandates clarity in health plan contracts - April 14Motivating the mediocre: Getting the maximum out of someone who's giving you the minimum - April 14Online tool allows Minnesota patients to weigh cost, perks - April 14Most states working toward implementing e-health programs - April 14Selling the bitter EMR pill (HIMSS meeting) - April 7Aetna launches personalized health search engine - April 7United panned in survey of hospital execs - April 7Contract Language: Review medical office lease before signing - April 7
New Web site on imaging safety draws criticism - March 24/31Getting paid for prevention: Physicians facing coding challenges - March 24/31Subpoenas issued to insurers in New York rate-setting probe - March 24/31Practice Pointers: How to manage without micromanaging - March 24/31
Rumor control: How to battle online misinformation - March 17United-Sierra merger in Nevada approved -- with conditions - March 17Google lifts veil on its personal health record - March 17Aetna will continue paying for colonoscopy anesthesia -- for now - March 17Insurer finds EMRs won't pay off for its doctors - March 10Politics in practice: How to keep it professional when staff gets partisan - March 10Illinois bill says stores can't have both clinics and tobacco - March 10Contract Language: Essential provisions of retainer contracts - March 10
New York takes on United over tactics as industry arbiter of physician pay - March 3Are you recession-proof? How the credit crunch affects medicine - March 3Blues stops asking doctors for rescission help - March 3Web site helps doctors find office mates - March 3Wal-Mart partners with hospitals to rapidly expand in-store clinics - Feb. 25Charting your patients' insurance: It's all in a simple grid - Feb. 25California regulatory actions shadow United's pursuit of Sierra - Feb. 25Analysts focus on insurers' health outlays - Feb. 25Picking the right process: Deciding the best way to submit claims - Feb. 18UnitedHealth faces stiff fines in California - Feb. 18Practice Pointers: Closing your practice: What to do and when to do it - Feb. 18
Can the Massachusetts Blues revive capitation? New twist includes quality bonus - Feb. 11Making room for faith: Handling religious expression at the office - Feb. 11Massachusetts society evaluates health plans' doctor-rating programs - Feb. 11Quick clinics and health kiosks are taking off at airports - Feb. 11Study's solution to no-shows: overbooking - Feb. 4Is Txting 4 U? Doctors let fingers to the talking - Feb. 4Aetna to stop paying for anesthesiologists during colonoscopies - Feb. 4Contract Language: Take care when firing a patient - Feb. 4
Insurers' online forums invite patients to vent - Jan. 28Private plans, public money: Insurers target federal funds - Jan. 28Massachusetts sets new rules for health clinics in retail stores - Jan. 28Practice Pointers: Analyze payer mix before deciding how to change it - Jan. 28
Quick View: Rural practice: Perceptions and experience - Jan. 28
Giving credit to get what's due: How doctors can help patients pay the bill - Jan. 21Maryland to issue report cards on PPO plans - Jan. 21Health plan looks to doctors to steer patients' imaging business - Jan. 21Enrollment drop has United vowing to be nicer - Jan. 14Physicians fight Aetna over caps on out-of-network pay - Jan. 14Neurosurgeon automates answering service - Jan. 14Leapfrog Group updates P4P Web site - Jan. 14Contract Language: Don't just sign whatever the EMR vendor provides - Jan. 14
Quick View: Where patients get their information - Jan. 14
Click to play: YouTube and similar sites have more doctors getting ready for their close-ups - Jan. 7Former United CEO settles in case charging stock backdating - Jan. 7Quick View: Regional exchanges slow to get going - Jan. 7
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Opinion 2008
Last year's editorials - Back to top
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Health & Science 2008
Allergic reaction: Food allergies increasing, especially among children - Dec. 29Malaria vaccine proving promising - Dec. 29Screening, tobacco control drive cancer declines - Dec. 29Exercise, weight control, adequate sleep found to reduce cancer risk - Dec. 29Shorter antibiotic course for latent TB increases compliance - Dec. 29Ho ho woes: Wrap rage results in lacerations and bad tempers - Dec. 22Research looks at new ways to ease pain of kids' shots - Dec. 22Geriatric Consult: Find the reason, then prevent the fall - Dec. 22
Speaking the language of vaccines (ICAAC and IDSA joint meeting) - Dec. 15COPD awareness is growing, but information gap persists - Dec. 15Report calls for greater access to smoking-cessation programs - Dec. 15Research urged for medication overuse headaches - Dec. 15Kidney stones linked to greater chance of CKD - Dec. 8More adults have prediabetes, with patients (and often physicians) unsure who's at risk - Dec. 8Statins, CRP test get boost from high-profile study - Dec. 1Reframing Framingham: New evidence prompts another look at cardiovascular risk algorithms - Dec. 1National survey will explore what it takes to age well in America - Dec. 1Smoking heightens aortic rupture risk for women - Nov. 24XDR-TB prevention starts with TB treatment - Nov. 24Geriatric Consult: Polypharmacy raises risks of side effects, skipped pills - Nov. 24
Steps to a nimble mind: Physical and mental exercise help keep the brain fit - Nov. 17FDA launches drug safety information Web site - Nov. 17Intensive approaches advised for obese youth - Nov. 10The poorer the kids, the worse their health, study says - Nov. 10Familiar faces speak as patients (AAFP annual scientific assembly) - Nov. 3Written screening tests confuse some patients - Nov. 3With no AIDS vaccine in sight, what's next? - Oct. 27Link between muscle disorders, statins probed - Oct. 27First signs of asthma often appear early in patient's life - Oct. 27C. difficile thriving even without antibiotic useAccuracy of virtual colonoscopies validated - Oct. 20Chronic stress linked to more heart disease among police - Oct. 20NIH director leaving post at end of October - Oct. 20Flu shots plentiful, doctors urged to get as well as give - Oct. 13Data from drug trials often not published - Oct. 13Common osteoarthritis treatment questioned - Oct. 13The never-ending story: Flu vaccine season goes year-round - Oct. 6Surgeon general urges more vigilance on dangerous clots - Oct. 6Direct-to-consumer drug ads' effect seen as mixed despite billions spent - Sept. 22/29Salmonella outbreak appears over; investigation to continueScurvy rare, but cases still are popping up - Sept. 22/29HPV vaccine talk shifts from fanfare to fear - Sept. 15Muscles matter: Physicans advised to tell patients to build up strength - Sept. 15Marketing works: Promote smoking and people smoke - Sept. 15West Nile virus on downswing; good recovery rates found - Sept. 15Tools of the trade: Urology museum exhibits scopes and catheters galore - Sept. 8Epilepsy care goal shifting to no seizures, not just fewer ones - Sept. 8Debate flares: Can obese patients be healthy? - Sept. 1Bruised and bleeding: Watching for von Willebrand disease - Sept. 1Long-term use of acid reflux drugs weighed - Sept. 1Link strengthened between sleep apnea and mortality risk - Sept. 1Survey captures snapshot of nation's health - Aug. 25Stepped-up efforts aim to thwart cheating on drug tests - Aug. 25Suicide hotline lets veterans -- and families -- dial for help - Aug. 25Alzheimer's drug trials surge, suggesting new pathways for care - Aug. 18Rebuilding body and spirit: Center for the Intrepid puts nation's wounded military on the mend - Aug. 18House advances FDA authority over tobacco - Aug. 18Prediabetes guidelines' aim: Avoiding heart risk - Aug. 18High prices at the pump complicate health choices - Aug. 11Critics at odds with AAP on how to cut kids' heart disease risk - Aug. 11Combination therapy best for severe asthma, studies find - Aug. 11Don't quit on smokers: If at first they don't succeed... - Aug. 4Success seen with tailored diabetes education - Aug. 4Vaccine-autism link unsupported by science, but theory lives on - July 28Lifestyle issues contribute to weight gain in teen girls - July 28FDA requires black-box warnings for fluoroquinolones - July 28Expect the thrill of victory, the agony of bad air at the Olympics - July 21Genetic precision (ASCO annual meeting) - July 21New tool evaluates "everyday" cognition - July 21Quick View: More schooled, more active - July 21
The end is near for CFC-propelled inhalers - July 14Technology aids MS detection, but diagnosis still challenging - July 14Low vitamin D linked to increased risk of heart attack, death - July 14Kids' combination vaccines cut number of required shots - July 14New book aims to provide vaccine answers: AMNews interviews Martin Myers, MD - July 7Infant pertussis outbreak emphasizes need to vaccinate health care workers - July 7Centers offer ways to bridge language, cultural differences - July 7Quick View: Summer is the time for Lyme - July 7
FDA goes digital for faster "Dear Doctor" letters - June 23/30D.C. hospital starts all-inclusive HIV screening - June 23/30Close tie between diabetes and sleep apnea - June 23/30Consolidating care (American College of Physicians annual meeting) - June 16Experts: A1c testing could help detect undiagnosed diabetes - June 16Pandemic debate now steered to allotting antivirals - June 16Lyme treatment accord ends antitrust probe - June 9As fit as a 5th grader? Adults can take challenge - June 9Healthy People 2020: National agenda shifts to risks, roots of disease - June 2The art of warning: Eye-catching images portray public health dangers - June 2State health reform efforts may help resolve disparity issues - June 2Flu summit addresses new challenges - June 2Experts debate value of assessing health literacy - June 2Officials ponder drop in mammograms as 1.1 million fewer women are screened - May 26Tainted foreign drugs trigger FDA scrutiny from Congress - May 26Seeking the best path (American College of Cardiology scientific session) - May 19Address mental health needs of returning troops, study says - May 19Studies suggest drugmaker skewed clinical trial reports - May 12Author equates alternative treatments with placebo effect - May 12Starving for perfection: The changing face of anorexia - May 5Hip, knee replacement surgery rates skyrocket over 7 years - May 5Quest for new antibiotics leads to novel sources - May 5Food safety falls short of national goals - May 5Post-outbreak study: Mumps immunity waning - April 28Alzheimer's rates expected to climb among minority elderly - April 28Health risks heating up? Global warming could affect patient symptoms - April 21Flu cases on the downswing - April 21Dementia doesn't always signal Alzheimer's - April 21Plans sought to curb teen girls' high STD rate - April 14WHO finds global rise in drug-resistant TB - April 14Quick View: Who gets the pneumococcal vaccine? - April 14
FDA pledges better communication on drug safety: AMNews interviews Andrew von Eschenbach, MD - April 7Sweetener scrutiny: Are sugar substitutes a helpful tool or an ineffective crutch? - April 7Vaccine court's ruling adds to confusion over autism link - April 7Ibuprofen may lessen benefit of daily aspirin - April 7States battle obesity epidemic with new laws - March 24/31Sleep times drop during workweek - March 24/31Heparin recall has doctors watching supply - March 24/31Poor awareness of cardiac, stroke symptoms can delay care - March 24/31Dangerous diversions: Specter of prescription drug abuse creates tough balancing act for doctors - March 17FDA plans to ease rules for reprinting off-label use info - March 17Flu vaccine recommended for all kids, teens - March 17Tool offers improved method for calculating fracture risks - March 17"Watchful waiting" may be best approach for prostate cancer - March 10New effort enlists businesses to correct health care disparities - March 10Meningococcal bug develops quinolone resistance - March 10Tooth or consequences: The costs of poor dental fitness - March 3Study says table salt may not have as much iodine as labeled - March 3Flu activity up; vaccine not as protective as hoped - March 3Data on glycemic control differ in 2 trials - March 3Down syndrome is the target of ambitious NIH research initiatives - Feb. 25Diabetes trial stops treatment arm in wake of death risk - Feb. 25Alcohol hand rubs not enough to curb hospital infections - Feb. 25Beyond the baby blues: A spectrum of postdelivery conditions - Feb. 18Study focuses on publication bias in journals - Feb. 18Doctors take another look at safety of hormone therapy - Feb. 18Adults proving a tough target for shingles shot - Feb. 11Break it down: Drop guns, wear condoms - Feb. 11Targeting infection seen as prevention, treatment for schizophrenia - Feb. 11Vaccines get a boost: Global market increases profitability of making vaccine - Feb. 4FDA warns against OTC cold meds for kids younger than 2 - Feb. 4Promising trial on statin add-in falls flat; studies continue - Feb. 4ACLU stresses public health's role in pandemics - Feb. 4Some autism cases linked to genetic mutation - Jan. 28Rapid MRSA test gets FDA OK - Jan. 28FDA issues MedWatch alert on pain risks of bisphosphonates - Jan. 28Diabetes guidelines: Screen more people earlier - Jan. 21Scratching the surface: The challenges of treating itching - Jan. 21Pact aims to ensure safety of Chinese drug imports - Jan. 21Extending flu shot season not simple - Jan. 14Questioning kids' over-the-counter cold medicines: AMNews interviews Joshua Sharfstein, MD, MPH - Jan. 14New approaches aimed at healing wounds - Jan. 14Women with coronary calcium found at risk for heart attack - Jan. 14High case rates make D.C. the nation's HIV/AIDS capital - Jan. 7More to know about COPD: Disputing the myths about an underdiagnosed disease - Jan. 7Health experts seek more awareness about Chagas - Jan. 7 Last year's stories - Back to top
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Copyright 2008 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
The doctors are in the house
The AMA's House of Delegates is holding its Interim Meeting Nov. 7-10 in Houston, addressing issues such as health system reform and physician payment.
AMA House -
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Updates
By late September 2009, widespread H1N1 activity had been reported in 27 states.
