Practices hit Medicare P4P quality targets, but bonuses still fall short Only four of the 10 physician groups received performance pay, despite a near-perfect record on quality measures. Texas liability reforms spur plunge in premiums and lawsuits Doctors attribute reduced medical liability insurance rates and an influx of specialists to the caps enacted five years ago. A legal challenge threatens to undo the reforms. "Moving to these new code sets has the potential to be the most complex change for the U.S. health care system in decades," says William F. Jessee, MD, president and CEO of the Medical Group Management Assn., cautioning CMS to not underestimate the difficulty of transitioning from ICD-9 to the expanded set of ICD-10 codes. MORE HEADLINES ADVERTISEMENT

INSIDE THIS WEEK Parallel universe The medical community is exploring ways to derive real-life benefits from online experiences in the virtual-reality world of Second Life. Business Time to toughen vaccination rules? Lax vaccine exemptions have been cited as a risk to public health. But a push to crack down could also present risks. Professional Issues Tools of the trade The instrument collections on display at a urology history museum starkly illustrate the evolution of medical devices, including the options for use in the pre-Foley days. Health & Science

American Medical News - Sept. 8, 2008 (vol. 51 no. 34)

GOVERNMENT & MEDICINE  Go to section
  CMS calls for transition to ICD-10 codes in 3 years
  Physician ties to medical device firms probed

PROFESSIONAL ISSUES  Go to section
  Time to get tough? States increasingly offer ways to opt out of vaccine mandates
  Legal risk for prescribing painkillers is small, study says
  In the Courts - Attempt to remove bullet leads to lawsuit

BUSINESS  Go to section
  Parallel universe: Entering an online 3-D world
  Surgical plates make a fashion statement
  Technically Speaking - Before you buy, evaluate the vendor's responsiveness
  Quick View - Paper perceived safer than e-records

OPINION  Go to section
  Take the slow track on RAC program
  Letters - Medical Justice: Our mutual privacy agreement will stand up when the patient is federally insured and others

HEALTH & SCIENCE  Go to section
  Tools of the trade: Urology museum exhibits scopes and catheters galore
  Epilepsy care goal shifting to no seizures, not just fewer ones

American Medical News

American Medical News is the newspaper for America's physicians. Published since 1958, it is one of the most widely read publications in the United States on news affecting the medical profession. From Medicare and managed care to public health and practice management, no other source covers the same range of current events affecting medical practice.

American Medical News is published by the American Medical Association and is intended to serve as a credible forum for information affecting physicians and their practices. The content of articles and the opinions expressed in AMNews are not necessarily endorsed by the AMA.