Skin & Allergy News articles from May 2004

Skin & Allergy News archives from May 2004

Expert witnesses, false testimony?
May 1, 2004... The proliferation of medical malpractice cases has fueled demand for physician expert witnesses, but as their ranks have swelled, so too have complaints about experts' comments made under oath. In response, many members of the medical...

Case of the month.
May 1, 2004... A 70-year-old man who had a kidney transplant was admitted with cellulitis of the left arm. The patient responded well to treatment with ampicillin and sulbactam, but then developed a coagulopathy, thrombocytopenia, and leukopenia. There was a...

UVA's fingerprints found in genes of skin cancer cells: study prompts calls for stronger UVA sun protection, questions tanning salon safety.
May 1, 2004... For the first time, the sun's ultraviolet A rays have been shown to cause more genetic damage than ultraviolet B rays in the basal layer keratinocytes of actinic keratoses and squamous cell carcinomas, concretely fingering UVA as a culprit in...

FDA panel backs filler to treat HIV lipoatrophy: but off-label use may face strict limits.(Food and Drug Administration)
May 1, 2004... GAITHERSBURG, MD. -- A tissue filler used in Europe since 1999 has earned a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel's unanimous recommendation for correcting the shape and contour deficiencies that characterize HIV-associated facial...

Many skin care products for kids contain common food allergens.(News)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- More than a quarter of over-the-counter skin care products for children contain commonly allergenic foods, Dr. Kelly K. Newhall reported in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma,...

FDA vaccines panel decides on influenza B strain.(News)(Food and Drug Administration)
May 1, 2004... BETHESDA, MD. -- The influenza virus vaccine for the 2004 2005 influenza season should definitely include a new influenza B component, the Food and Drug Administration's vaccines panel has concluded. At a meeting of the Food and Drug...

Periostat Tx shows promise for rosacea: subantimicrobial dosing spares antimicrobial resistance, other tetracycline-related problems.(News)
May 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Subantimicrobial doses of doxycycline effectively reduced the inflammatory lesions of rosacea and improved the global severity rating score of patients with the disease, Dr. Diane Thiboutot reported at a meeting sponsored...

Myopericarditis rate stands out in smallpox vaccine efforts.(News)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- The program to immunize American soldiers and some civilians against smallpox has been successful, but the biggest surprise of the vaccination effort has been myopericarditis, which has occurred with a "remarkably high...

Project will assess factors that are behind teens' indoor tanning.(News)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... BETHESDA, MD. -- An ambitious nationwide project is being launched to evaluate the factors that lead adolescents to indoor tanning salons and down the road toward skin cancer. The Correlates of Indoor Tanning in Youth (CITY 100) project...

Brown dog tick is behind Ariz. Rocky Mountain spotted fever outbreak.(News)
May 1, 2004... ATLANTA -- Four cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever identified in Arizona between 2001 and 2003 represent the first documented outbreak of the infection in which the widely distributed brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, was the primary...

Add sunglasses to kids' sun protection.(Guest Editorial)
May 1, 2004... In dermatology, we have known for years that the bulk of the sun damage occurs in early childhood. Less well known to us, however, is the fact that the same can be said for certain sun-induced ocular diseases. Recently, I was invited to an...

Choice: too much of a good thing?(Under My Skin)
May 1, 2004... "Sorry I don't have samples of the wash yet," the pharmaceutical rep apologized as he stuffed my sample closet with yet another sulfur/sulfacetamide lotion. "Soon, we'll have the wash to go with the cream, the lotion, and the emollient...

How to employ physician extenders appropriately.(Guest Editorial)
May 1, 2004... The central tenet of proper dermatology practice management and enhancement is that the business aspects of your practice often are as important to manage as the clinical components. In this era of managed care, practice management and...

Third world disease: everyone's problem.(Guest Editorial)
May 1, 2004... As part of our work on expanding health care in Africa, my wife and I were invited to visit Queen Elizabeth's Central Hospital in Malawi. It is the leading hospital in the country, and it is one of the most amazing places in the world for me. I...

States with the lowest ratio of civilians per one nonfederal physician, 2002.(Data Watch)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
May 1, 2004... States With the Lowest Ratio of Civilians per One Nonfederal Physician, 2002 Mass. 218 N.Y. 240 Md. 242 Conn. 252 Vt. 252 R.I. 271 N.J. 302 Pa. 309 Source: American Medical Association ...

Mixing immunomodulators and pregnancy.(Guest Editorial)
May 1, 2004... Several immunologic agents--adalimumab, anakinra, etanercept, three classes of interferons, and thalidomide--are classified in the general category of immunomodulators. They are used for various approved and off-label indications, including...

The right response to medical complications.(Guest Editorial)
May 1, 2004... Complications are ubiquitous in procedural medicine. They happen to all physicians. But I've come to understand that most doctors are poorly equipped, at an individual level, to handle the psychological effects of severe complications. The...

B-cell pseudolymphomas can morph into CBCL.(Clinical Rounds)(cutaneous B-cell lymphomas)
May 1, 2004... STOWE, VT. -- Call them the great impostors. B-cell pseudolymphomas mimic cutaneous B-cell lymphomas both clinically and histologically, and the differentiating diagnostic criteria are ill defined, according to Dr. Peter Heald of Yale...

Looks are deceiving with some pediatric tumors.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Be vigilant when assessing pediatric tumors, because their appearance can easily deceive you, Dr. Ronald Hansen advised at a meeting sponsored by the Skin Disease Education Foundation. For example, he called the...

Measles virus may boost atopic dermatitis risk.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Both the measles, mumps, rubella vaccination and a natural measles infection increase a child's risk for developing atopic dermatitis, and they do so to a comparable degree, said Dr. Anne Braae Olesen of the University Hospital of Aarhus...

What's new in autoinflammatory derm diseases.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... WASHINGTON--Not to be confused with autoimmune diseases, the relatively rare autoinflammatory syndromes in dermatology have several things in common, Dr. Maria L. Turner said at a meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. ...

Study identifies risk factors for erysipelas, cellulitis.
May 1, 2004... CANCUN, MEXICO -- Foot dermatomycoses are a risk factor for erysipelas and bacterial cellulitis of the leg--and since they're amenable to treatment, screening and treatment of these infections are advisable, Dr. Rajesh Bakshi recommended. ...

Treatment varies for severe Loxosceles spider bites.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- A bite from the Loxosceles group of spiders is probably the only important cause of necrotic arachnidism in the United States, Dr. David Swanson said at a meeting sponsored by the Skin Disease Education Foundation. ...

Full recovery elusive up to 1 year after West Nile infection.
May 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Survivors of West Nile virus infection continue to experience significant impairment 1 year after the illness, Denis Nash, Ph.D., said at a conference sponsored by Mount Sinai School of Medicine. In the first study to look at...

Some cancers on the rise in HIV-infected patients.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Even as the incidences of some cancers associated with AIDS decreased in the era of better anti-HIV medications, other cancers became more common in people with HIV, Dr. Pragna Patel reported at the 11th Conference on...

Gonococcal resistance to quinolone on the rise.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- The rate of fluoroquinolone resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae doubled from 2.2% in 2002 to greater than 4% in 2003, and resistant isolates are now surfacing at several sites around the country, according to an official with...

True scope of HIV epidemic emerges with improved tracking.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Recent mandates to report diagnoses not only of AIDS but also of HIV infection are exposing the bulk of this iceberg of an epidemic, and it's not a pretty sight. Nearly 1% of all New York City residents are living with...

Intratracheal hemangioma Dx requires teamwork.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Pediatric dermatologists must work with pediatricians, family physicians, and other children's care providers to properly diagnose and treat intratracheal hemangiomas, Dr. Howard Pride said at a meeting of the Society for...

The greatest risk factor for melanoma: all in the family?(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... WHISTLER, B.C. -- Belonging to a melanoma-prone family is the single greatest risk factor for the disease, Dr. Sancy Leachman said at a clinical dermatology seminar sponsored by Medicis. For someone with at least one first degree relative...

Pigmentary ills prompt more office visits by nonwhites.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- In the United States, nonwhite people were more likely than white people to see a physician on an out patient basis about a pigmentary disorder, based on data sampled from nearly 4 billion physician office visits during 1996-2000....

MedRules, PDA Backup cards.(Digital Assistance)
May 1, 2004... Featured App: MedRules (ver. 3.3) Clinical Prediction Rules Clinical prediction aids and decision support tools have been a part of medicine for many years. Application of guidelines and algorithms in daily practice has facilitated our...

Second sulfa drug reaction is not so common.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Common drugs such as thiazide diuretics, glyburide, and celecoxib can be used safely by most patients who previously had a reaction to sulfonamide antibiotics, Dr. Matt Morgan said at the annual meeting of the American Academy...

Genital herpes simplex virus.(Drug Update)
May 1, 2004... Three oral antiviral medications are approved to treat genital herpes simplex virus infections: acyclovir, famciclovir, and valacyclovir. The drugs are equally effective and well tolerated, with rare side effects consisting mainly of mild...

Experts prepare for 2004 return of West Nile virus.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2004... ATLANTA -- As public health authorities brace for the possibility of another epidemic of West Nile virus this summer, researchers are racing to piece together the clinical, pathologic, and epidemiologic puzzles that the virus presents. ...

Scleroderma Tx delivering inconsistent results.(Dermatologic Therapy)
May 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Scleroderma research is making headway, but consistently good results are hard to come by, Dr. Stephen Katz said at a meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. "In scleroderma, more so than most other diseases, the...

A refresher on antioxidants.(Cosmeceutical Critique)
May 1, 2004... First hypothesized in 1956 by Dr. Denham Harman, the free radical theory of aging is now the most widely accepted theory regarding the etiology of skin aging. Both internal and external oxidative stressors create inflammatory pathways...

Know the symptoms of lichen sclerosus in girls.(Dermatologic Therapy)
May 1, 2004... WHISTLER, B.C. -- Approximately 10%-15% of all cases of lichen sclerosus occur in children, with girls outnumbering boys 10:1, Dr. Sheryll Vanderhooft said at a clinical dermatology seminar sponsored by Medicis. The clinical features of...

Careful hygiene quells pediatric pruritus vulvae.(Dermatologic Therapy)
May 1, 2004... WHISTLER, B.C. -- Pruritus vulvae is a relatively common complaint in prepubescent girls, Dr. Sheryll Vanderhooft said at a clinical dermatology seminar sponsored by Medicis. Girls of this age are susceptible to pruritus vulvae because the...

Bleach baths blast bacteria in atopic dermatitis.(Dermatologic Therapy)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Bleach baths can be an effective tool for killing bacteria and helping to clear atopic dermatitis, Dr. Cheryl Lee Eberting said at a meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. Experts generally recommend 1/2 cup of...

Desloratadine ups quality of life in urticaria.(Dermatologic Therapy)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO--Once-daily desloratadine (5 mg) improved the quality of life and decreased sleep disturbance and daily activity disturbance scores for patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria, Dr. J.J. Grob reported in a poster presentation at...

Scant data no impediment to growing use of IVIg.(Dermatologic Therapy)(intravenous immunoglobulin)
May 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Dermatologists have begun using intravenous immunoglobulin therapy as second-line therapy, and in some cases first-line therapy, in the treatment of a variety of inflammatory and autoimmune skin diseases. But intravenous...

Selected antifungal prescribing, 2003.(Data Watch)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
May 1, 2004... Selected Antifungal Prescribing, 2003 Prescriptions Filled Penlac 1,165,000 Loprox 924,000 Loprox Topical Suspension ...

Processing of IVIg may affect safety, efficacy, and adverse events.(Dermatologic Therapy)
May 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The inherent variability in the quality of current intravenous immunoglobulin products can lead to unwanted side effects, especially in patients who are vulnerable to the treatments' adverse events, several speakers reported at...

Psoriasis responded well to calcitriol ointment.(Dermatologic Therapy)
May 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Calcitriol ointment was a sate and effective treatment for chronic plaque psoriasis in a pair of controlled, 8-week studies with a total enrollment of more than 800 patients. In both studies, twice-daily topical treatment with...

Psoriasis patients looking for latest biologics Tx.(Dermatologic Therapy)
May 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- If you want to be "a real physician," learn to use the new biologic drugs available for psoriasis, lest you lose psoriasis patients to the care of other physicians, Dr. Michael H. Gold said at a meeting sponsored by the...

Investigative antibiotic treats diabetic infections.(Dermatology Therapy)
May 1, 2004... CANCUN, MEXICO, -- The investigational antibiotic oritavancin is as effective as vancomycin plus cephalexin in the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections in diabetic patients. What's more, it works in half the time, Dr....

Daptomycin effective against dual infections.(Dermatologic Therapy)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... CANCUN, MEXICO -- Daptomycin is as effective as vancomycin or a semisynthetic penicillin in the treatment of patients coinfected with Staphylococcus aureus and [beta]-hemolytic streptococci, according to findings presented at the 11th...

Duloxetine dulled diabetic neuropathic pain.(Dermatologic Therapy)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Duloxetine is safe and significantly more effective for diabetic neuropathic pain than is routine care, reported Dr. J.K Wernicke in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. In...

Spiriva handihaler, sensipar.(New & Approved)
May 1, 2004... Spiriva Handihaler (tiotropium bromide inhalation powder, Boehringer Ingelheim) An inhaled anticholinergic for long-term, once-daily, maintenance treatment of bronchospasm associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),...

Pamper hands in paronychia management.(Dermatologic Therapy)
May 1, 2004... WEISTLER, B.C. -- Strict avoidance of irritants and scrupulous protection of the nails are the most important aspects of managing chronic paronychia, Dr. C. Ralph Daniel said at a clinical dermatology seminar sponsored by Medicis. ...

Tazarotene edged tretinoin for photodamage Tx.(Dermatologic Therapy)
May 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Tazarotene cream was better than tretinoin emollient cream for the global improvement of photo-damaged facial skin in a study of 157 patients, although the difference was not statistically significant as treatment progressed. ...

Combinations top hyperpigmentation Tx options.(Dermatologic Therapy)
May 1, 2004... AMELIA ISLAND, FLA. -- Newer combination topicals offer patients relatively quick, safe, and effective treatment for hyperpigmentation, Dr. Patricia Farris said at a symposium sponsored by the Dermatology Foundation. "Tri-Luma is the...

Pain relievers.(Dermatologic Therapy)
May 1, 2004... "Take one of these allergy pills each time you battle the Catwoman." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "From January to May, I work for the government to pay for my income tax and from May to October to pay for my malpractice insurance." ...

Experts offer collagen, hyaluronic acid how-to's.(Dermatologic Surgery)
May 1, 2004... MIAMI BEACH -- Collagen adds structure and hyaluronic acid provides volume to facial wrinkles and lips, according to experts doing a live injection demonstration at a symposium sponsored by the Florida Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic...

Cosmetic work on patients age 18 years or younger.(Data Watch)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
May 1, 2004... Cosmetic Work on Patients Age 18 Years or Younger % Change 2002 From 2001 Nose reshaping 40,696 -7% Ear surgery 29,065 21%...

New filler requires adaptation of old techniques.(Dermatologic Surgery)
May 1, 2004... SNOWMASS, COLO. -- The hyaluronic acid filler Restylane can produce slightly more redness and swelling than dermatologists are used to seeing with bovine collagen, so take care when evaluating a patient who has been injected and appears to have...

Benefits of facial lipoatrophy injections elusive.(Dermatologic Surgery)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Mixed results in a study of polylactic acid injections for facial lipoatrophy in 94 patients with HIV leave the benefits of this treatment approach in question, Dr. M. Lafaurie said in a poster presentation at the 11th...

Eyelid surgery: careful evaluation avoids post-op complications.(Dermatologic Surgery)
May 1, 2004... SNOWMASS, COLO. -- Although rare, blepharoplasty complications that threaten vision can happen--but surgeons can avoid many of those complications by performing an extensive preoperative evaluation of the candidate that includes checking for...

Top five reconstructive surgery procedures, 2002.(Data Watch)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Top Five Reconstructive Surgery Procedures, 2002 Total Procedures, % Change 2002 From 2001 Tumor removal 679,859 12% Hand surgery ...

Excimer laser improved psoriasis phototherapy.(Dermatologic Surgery)
May 1, 2004... Excimer laser generated 308-nm UVB radiation is a highly effective treatment for moderate and chronic forms of psoriasis, according to Dr. W. Gerber and associates at Klinikum Stadt Hanau (Germany). Meticulous measurement of plaque...

Targeted UVB phototherapy cuts Tx duration.(Dermatologic Surgery)
May 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Localized, noncoherent ultraviolet B light cut the number of sessions needed to effectively treat localized psoriasis in a pilot study with six patients. "Because UVB is targeted to the diseased skin, a higher dose--up to...

Flap tricks prove valuable for unusual defects.(Dermatologic Surgery)
May 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Dermatologic surgeons who intend to repair large or tough-to-close wound defects need to have a flexible plan and wide ranging set of techniques that can give the best possible surgical and cosmetic results to patients, several...

Know how much undermining is too much in lip repair.(Dermatologic Surgery)
May 1, 2004... WHISTLER, B.C. -- Simple is best when it comes to repairing defects of the cheek or lip, Dr. Jeffrey McKenna said at a clinical dermatology seminar sponsored by Medicis. Use linear repairs and try to follow normal facial contours whenever...

Fat transfer technique: give muscles a shot.(Dermatologic Surgery)
May 1, 2004... SNOWMASS, COLO. -- Practice may not make perfect, but it is helping to refine fat transfer technique, and much collective clinical experience shows that injecting fat into muscle is the optimal procedure, Dr. Kimberly Butterwick said at a...

Combined therapy holds promise for severe acne.(Dermatologic Surgery)
May 1, 2004... MIAMI BEACH -- Photodynamic therapy combined with 5-aminolevulinic acid treats moderate to severe cystic acne with clinical improvements similar to isotretinoin that last up to 1 year, Dr. Mark S. Nestor said. The Food and Drug...

Combine C[O.sub.2] and Er:YAG for best of both in resurfacing.(Dermatologic Surgery)
May 1, 2004... INCLINE VILLAGE, NEV. -- If you run across a patient who wants laser resurfacing, combining a C[O.sub.2] laser with an erbium:YAG laser is still the way to go, Dr. R. James Koch Jr. said at a meeting sponsored by the Foundation for Facial...

Upper eyelid veins respond well to laser.(Dermatologic Surgery)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... SNOWMASS, Colo. -- The 1,064-nm Nd:YAG laser can be a very good way to treat fine veins on the upper eyelids, Dr. Kimberly Butterwick said at a symposium sponsored by the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. ...

Dermabrasion remains a valuable tool to correct acne scarring, rhinophyma.(Dermatologic Surgery)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... AMELIA ISLAND, FLA. -- Good old-fashioned mechanical resurfacing still has a place in cosmetic dermatology, Dr. Neil Swanson said at a symposium sponsored by the Dermatology Foundation. Dermabrasion, for example, is still the best procedure...

Measurable skin contractions seen with volumetric radiofrequency.(Dermatologic Surgery)
May 1, 2004... HOLLYWOOD, FLA. -- Volumetric radiofrequency provided moderate but visible skin contraction in the treated vs. untreated sides of the faces of 10 patients enrolled in a study of the noninvasive tissue-tightening procedure, Dr. Walter K. Nahm...

Dermasurgery.(Policy & Practice)(American Society of Dermasurgery)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery may become the American Society of Dermasurgery, if the membership votes to approve the proposed name change later this year. The proposed name is based on the work of a 12-member branding task...

Wound care coverage.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Medicare will begin covering the use of electromagnetic therapy for the treatment of wounds starting in July. Electromagnetic therapy will be covered only for the treatment of chronic stage III or stage IV pressure ulcers, arterial ulcers,...

Anesthesia warning.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Patients should choose procedures that can be performed using local anesthesia to avoid potential risks from general anesthesia, according to the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. The organization based this advice on study...

Liability impact.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The rising cost of malpractice insurance premiums is hurting patient access to care, according to the results of a survey from the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). Medical group practices lace an average premium increase of...

Medicare lobbying.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Physicians need to help educate their patients locally about the recent Medicare reform law, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R.-Tenn.) said at a national advocacy conference sponsored by the American Medical Association. "I know it's...

A better Medicaid.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... It serves more than 48 million beneficiaries, yet the financial structure of the Medicaid program "is made of wire and duct tape and needs to be changed," Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) said during a meeting sponsored by America's Health...

Bridge language, culture gaps to improve patient care.(Practice Trends)
May 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- One way physicians can improve their cultural competency is to "get more and better" language interpreters, Anne Fadiman advised at a meeting sponsored by the National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality. "A pediatric...

Sen. Frist continues to push liability legislation: the Senate majority leader is determined to routinely bring a comprehensive bill up for a vote.(Practice Trends)
May 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) has vowed to bring some version of medical liability reform legislation up for a vote every other month--until he gets it passed. "What I'm giving [physicians] is a platform every 2...

The perfect practice requires complementary business skills.(Practice Trends)
May 1, 2004... MIAMI BEACH -- Constantly scrutinize and devise strategies regarding the business aspect of your dermatology practice to ensure its success, David L. Wagener said at a symposium sponsored by the Florida Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic...

Office dispensing a 'win-win' for dermatologists and patients.(Practice Trends)
May 1, 2004... MIAMI BEACH -- Although many dermatologists dispense skin care products from their offices, few achieve the full benefit for themselves and their patients. But four strategies can help dermatologists develop a successful dispensing operation,...

To change patients' behavior, assess their perceptions.(Practice Trends)
May 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- During interviews designed to motivate change, ask patients to rate the perceived importance of making a behavioral change, as well as their confidence that the change is possible, David B. Rosengren, Ph.D., advised at a...

Take steps to protect practice assets.(Practice Trends)
May 1, 2004... MIAMI BEACH -- Effective strategies to protect physician wealth from malpractice or other litigation include diluting the value of your practice, forming corporations and limited partnerships, directing assets to offshore irrevocable trusts,...

Health plans should boost docs' access to IT.(Practice Trends)(Information Technology)
May 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The federal government and private health plans need to help physicians gain more access to information technology, several speakers said at a meeting on the Medicare prescription drug law. "Physicians need help now," said...

Health insurance lobby unveils its new name.(Practice Trends)(America's Health Insurance Plans)
May 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The health insurance industry has a new champion--America's Health Insurance Plans. That's the new moniker of the recently merged American Association of Health Plans and Health Insurance Association of America. "I think...

Medicare Rx law offers new openings for fraud: crimes may take years to reveal, and law enforcement may take a closer look at free samples, gifts to doctors.(Practice Trends)
May 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The new Medicare prescription drug benefit offers fresh opportunities for health care fraud, James Sheehan said at a meeting on the new law. "Every time you get a new federal program, two things happen," said Mr. Sheehan, who...