TABLE OF CONTENTS

Aug. 2, 2010

American Medical News  Print edition cover date Aug. 9, 2010, vol. 53 no. 15.

Top stories - Government - Profession - Opinion - Business - 2010 index

Top stories

Nixed Medicare consultation codes force doctors to make cutbacks
Patient care is impacted as practices report laying off staff and reducing services in response to Medicare's new policy.

Medical societies demand insurers rethink doctor cost ratings
Researchers find current systems to be inaccurate and unlikely to lower health system costs.

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Government & Medicine

Medical homes for Medicaid: The North Carolina model
Physicians running the state's regional care networks think their care management system could work for other Medicaid programs that are about to become much larger.

Health reform rule makes preventive care free for many
Tens of millions of health plan patients still may be subject to co-pays, but that figure will decrease over time.

EMR bonus program poses tight deadline for physicians
Some improvements in the "meaningful use" final rule sought by the AMA were accepted, but the Association says many practices still face barriers to adoption.

Consumer genetic testing has little value, GAO report says
Lawmakers are questioning why the FDA hasn't regulated the industry more aggressively.

Health reform rule regulates insurance appeals process
Meanwhile, legislators from both political parties work to amend the new reform law.

News briefs:

• ED wait times increase nationwide
• Medicare payment for dialysis bundled under new rule
• Medicare demo will test decision support systems

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Professional Issues

Medical team gives Oregon woman a new face
A surgeon and two maxillofacial experts in prosthetics help a 27-year-old mother, disfigured by a shotgun blast, appear more normal to her young son.

Families' optimism often at odds with physicians' prognoses
A study finds that family members often disagree with doctors on an ICU patient's chances of survival, leading to conflicts over appropriate care.

Iowa practices get recruiting help from state medical society
The Iowa Medical Society Center for Physician Recruitment promotes Iowa as a great place to live and work. The state ranks 41st in physician supply.

Physicians reluctant to report impaired colleagues, study says
More than a third of doctors surveyed said it is not their responsibility to report all physicians with mental health or substance abuse problems.

In the Courts: Tax breaks for residents to get Supreme Court review

News briefs:

• ACOG issues less-restrictive guidelines for VBACs
• Nevada weighs reporting rules on preventable hospital infections
• Online tool aims to make prevention easier

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A more efficient claims process
Health plans need to standardize their filing rules to reduce the billions of dollars wasted in the claims processing system.

AMA Leader Commentary: A prescription for health care system stakeholders

Letters:

• Don't work with health plans that won't pay physicians a fair fee

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Business

Negotiating your productivity target: The new payment structures
Determining your compensation isn't just about how many patients you must see to earn your pay. It's also what happens if that number isn't met.

Tenn. firm barred from pursuing alleged overpayments
The case against Health Research Insights remains open, but it appears the bill recovery company has suspended or stopped its operations entirely.

Health plans encounter resistance to higher premiums
New Mexico and Rhode Island are among the states where rate increases have been met with requests for details, conditional approvals or denials from regulators.

Maine seeks reform waiver on insurer spending rule
The state's insurance superintendent fears that the new regulations could leave the state's residents with few or no options for individual coverage.

Orthopedic surgeon keeps homes environmentally sound
A New York physician's environmental testing company finds hidden mold and detects lead-based paint.

Practice Management: Planning can reduce the back-to-school patient crunch

News briefs:

• Consumer confidence to pay for health care hits new low
• Highmark loses government contract to Cigna
• Program offers aid on "meaningful use" to physician organizations

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