November 15th, 2010 by GarySchwitzer in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion
Tags: American Cancer Society, Complications of Screening Tests, CT Scan Marketing, David Sampson, Evidence and Harm, Evidence-Based Health Media, Evidence-Based Healthcare Decisions, Gary Schwitzer, Harms of Screening Tests, Health Scams, HealthNewsReview.org, Lack of Scientific Medical Evidence, Lung Cancer, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, National Lung Screening Trial, Oncology, Overtesting, Preventive Health, Preventive Medicine, Preventive Screening, Pulmonology, Radiology, Science Reporting, Twin Cities, Unnecessary Medical Tests
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Last week, after the National Lung Screening Trial results were released, David Sampson, American Cancer Society director of medical and scientific communications, wrote that “our greatest fear was that forces with an economic interest in the test would sidestep the scientific process and use the release of the data to start promoting CT scans. Frankly, even we are surprised how quickly that has happened.”
And, yes, the marketing has even hit fly-over country in the Twin Cities, with this ad appearing in the Sunday Minneapolis Star Tribune in the “A” section:
Of course, no where in the ad will you read about the potential harms of such scans, the false positive rate, what happens when you get a false positive (unnecessary followup testing and perhaps unnecessary treatment), and more costs. And nowhere in the ad will you read that 300 heavy smokers had to be scanned in order for just one to get a benefit of extending his life. But six clinics in this chain are standing by to take your money and do your scan.
*This blog post was originally published at Gary Schwitzer's HealthNewsReview Blog*
November 15th, 2010 by RyanDuBosar in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News
Tags: ACP Internist, American College Of Physicians, Baby Boomers, Geriatrics, Healthcare Politics, Healthcare reform, Lame Duck Session, Medicare Eligibility, Medicare Reimbursement, Medicare SGR Cut, New U.S. Healthcare System, Ryan DuBosar, U.S. Congress
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Today begins a lame duck session of Congress before it breaks for Thanksgiving. It’s the final chance to work out a temporary patch to Medicare reimbursement before a 23 percent cut takes effect Dec. 1. Doctors are going to stop taking new Medicare patients if the cuts happen. And, as one breast cancer surgeon explains, if Medicare stops paying, so to private insurers and even military health programs. Congress will meet in December, but the damage will be done.
This all is happening two weeks before the baby boomers become eligible for Medicare. That populous generation starts to turn 65 beginning on Jan. 1, which means they become eligible for Medicare on Dec. 1, which, as we mentioned, is the day the 23 percent Medicare pay cut kicks in. Boomers will continue to become eligible for Medicare, one person every eight seconds, until December 2029. (CNN, The Washington Post, USA Today)
*This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist*
November 15th, 2010 by Lucy Hornstein, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion, True Stories
Tags: Charity Care, Dr. Lucy Hornstein, Family Practice Residency Programs, General Medicine, Government-Funded Care, Government-run Healthcare, Healthcare Economics, Healthcare Infrastructure, Healthcare reform, Medical Schools, More Primary Care Doctors, Musings of a Dinosaur, National Healthcare System, New U.S. Healthcare System, Private Medical Practice, Public Healthcare Clinics, Public Healthcare System, VA, Veterans Administration
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A friend who works with the unemployed called me up the other day huffing with indignation. The local charity clinic, apparently overwhelmed, had changed its policies so that her unemployed uninsured would no longer be able to seek care there.
“Someone has to do something!”
Um, what exactly would that be? I’d love to help, but I have bills to pay (as do charity clinics) so I can hardly provide medical care without seeking payment. I understand her desperation (and that of the people she so valiantly helps) but who, exactly, is supposed to do what, precisely?
Things are going to get worse before they get better, I fear. The unemployment issue goes way beyond a devastating economic downturn. It’s a reflection of the most basic economic principle of supply and demand. Wages are the “price” of labor — prices go down when supply goes up. In the case of labor, it’s when you have large numbers of people willing to accept lower wages. Can you say “outsourcing?” Watch as the jobs flow overseas while we’re still left with all these people, but not enough jobs to support themselves. In the meantime they all still need healthcare, but can’t pay for it.
Someone has to do something!
Guess what? It just so happens that we really do have a healthcare infrastructure in this country. Between the Veterans Administration (VA) and public healthcare clinics, we have rather a good start at building a truly national healthcare system. Perhaps now is the time to expand it. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Musings of a Dinosaur*
November 15th, 2010 by KevinMD in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion
Tags: Centers For Medicare And Medicaid Services, CMS, Doctors' Pay, Dr. Kevin Pho, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Politics, Healthcare reform, Jeffrey Parks, KevinMD, Medical Malpractice Crisis, Medical Malpractice Reform, Medicare SGR Cut, No-Fault Malpractice, Non-Economic Damages, Peter Orszag, Physician Reimbursement Cut, Proposed SGR Fix, SGR Reform, Sustainable Growth Rate
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The bipartisan debt commission appointed by President Obama recently released its recommendations on how to pare the country’s debt.
Of interest to doctors is the suggestion to change the way doctors are paid. Physician lobbies have been advocating for removal of the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula — the flawed method by which Medicare, and subsequently private insurers, pays doctors. According to this method, physicians are due for a pay cut of more than 20 percent next month.
According to the commission:
The plan proposes eliminating the SGR in 2015 and replacing it with a “modest reduction” for physicians and other providers. The plan doesn’t elaborate on what constitutes a “modest reduction” in Medicare reimbursement.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) should establish a new payment system — one that rewards doctors for quality, and includes accountable care organizations and bundling payments by episodes of care, the report said.
The commission also said in order to pay for the SGR reform, medical malpractice lawyers should be paid less, there should be a cap on noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases, and that comprehensive tort reform should be adopted.
There’s little question that associating physician reimbursements with the number of tests and treatments ordered is a major driver of health costs. Removing that incentive, and better valuing the time doctors spend with patients, is a positive step in the right direction. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at KevinMD.com*
November 15th, 2010 by DavidHarlow in Better Health Network, Health Policy, News, Opinion
Tags: Accountable Care Organizations, ACO, David Harlow, Election 2010, Fee-For-Service System, HealthBlawg, Healthcare Economics, Healthcare Finance, Healthcare Law, Healthcare Politics, Healthcare reform, Medical Education, Medical Fraud And Abuse, Medical Schools, Medical Students, New Medical Residents, Office of Inspector General, OIG, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Patient-Centered Medical Home, PPACA, Residency Programs, Roadmap For New Physicians
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In October, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a report on Fraud and Abuse Training in Medical Education, finding that 44 percent of medical schools reported giving some instruction in the anti-kickback statute and related laws, even though they weren’t legally required to do so. (As an aside, do we really live in such a nanny state? Over half of all medical schools don’t teach their students anything about this issue — because nobody’s making them — even though it is an issue that looms large in the practice of medicine.)
On a more positive note, about two-thirds of institutions with residency programs instruct participants on the law, and 90 percent of all medical schools and training programs expressed an interest in having dsome instructional materials on the subject of the anti-kickback statute, physician self-referrals (Stark) rules and the False Claims Act.
So in November, the OIG released a Roadmap for New Physicians – A Guide to Avoiding Fraud and Abuse, available on line and as a PDF. It’s a good 30-page primer on the subject. While some of the examples given are specific to newly-minted physicians, anyone in the health care industry would benefit by reading it. The document offers a window into the thinking of the OIG, its perspective on the wide range of issues summarized within, and is a good touchstone for any individual or organization seeking to structure a relationship that needs to stay within the bounds of these laws. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at HealthBlawg :: David Harlow's Health Care Law Blog*
