Table of Contents: Jan. 5, 2009

American Medical News vol. 52 no. 1. Posted online Dec. 29, 2008.
Top stories - Government - Profession - Business - Opinion - Health - 2008 index

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"I strongly believe that health IT has to be clear and present in any economic recovery bill," says Sen. Max Baucus (D, Mont.), chair of the Senate Finance Committee.

INSIDE THIS WEEK

Allergic reaction
As food allergy rates continue to increase, diagnosis and treatment issues offer challenges for physicians.
Health & Science
Running out of patches?
With a year to go before the next Medicare pay cut, some see signs a more permanent fix might be in the works.
Government & Medicine
Mont. court OKs assisted suicide
A judge ruled that mentally competent patients with terminal illnesses can seek physician aid in dying.
Professional Issues
Model law bans silent PPOs
The legislation allows doctors to deny discounts to insurers they have not contracted with.
Business

Government & Medicine

Running out of patches? Options for fixing the Medicare pay crisis
With a year to go before the next major cut in physician pay, some see signs that a more permanent solution might be in the works. But the challenges facing the process are daunting.

Health IT near top of Democrats' agenda for 2009
Obama confirms Daschle as HHS nominee and places him in charge of White House health reform effort.

Government news briefs:

Cover Florida program begins
Budget cuts reducing state health coverage

Professional Issues

Montana court OKs doctor-assisted suicide
A judge ruled that the state's constitution gives mentally competent patients with terminal illnesses the right to seek physician aid in dying.

Defensive medicine widespread among Massachusetts doctors
The state medical society is calling for tort reforms to address costs, access and safety issues associated with medical liability fears.

Ethics Forum: Helping patients who are victims of abuse

Professional Issues news briefs:

Physicians to receive payments in Blues settlements

Business

Model law banning silent PPOs could serve as draft for state legislatures
The legislation spells out how to bar unauthorized third-party network rental and allows physicians to deny discounts to insurers they have not contracted with. View in PDF

Helping students, residents find or sell a home
An Illinois orthopedic surgeon runs a free Web site for those looking for temporary quarters.

Practice Management: Check fine print before selling your practice

Practice Pointers: How to handle the transition to a new office manager

Business news briefs:

Rescission reform introduced in California again
Retail clinics serving relatively small patient population
Spending for generic drugs drops

Opinion

Put the tobacco settlement money in smoking cessation
States need to spend more of their tobacco settlement money on cessation and prevention programs.

AMA Leader Commentary: AMA makes sharing prescribing data a matter of choice

Letters:

Dr. Davis left us with an important lesson in rediscovering faith in God
Hard times spur sweeping changes

Health & Science

Allergic reaction: Food allergies increasing, especially among children
Treatment and management present a challenge for physicians.

Malaria vaccine proving promising
Researchers are planning phase III trials.

Screening, tobacco control drive cancer declines
Referrals for mammograms and colonoscopies from a patient's medical home are found to boost follow-through.

Health news briefs: