Medicine & Health articles from May 2009

Medicine & Health archives from May 2009

Swine flu hits the U.S., some fear possible pandemic: almost all reported deaths took place in Mexico.(Public Health)
May 1, 2009... The Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency on April 26 in response to recent human infections with a newly discovered swine influenza A (swine flu) virus. "The declaration allows us the flexibility, while...

From the CDC: just what is the swine flu? Good news: seasonal flu shots may offer partial protection from one strain.(Fact Box)
May 1, 2009... Swine flu is a respiratory disease caused by type A influenza that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza among pigs. Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans; however, human infections with swine flu do occur, according to the...

Need for more primary care pits doctor against doctor: surgical specialists: don't take our money to effect healthcare reform.(Healthcare Reform)
May 1, 2009... The White House and Congress are looking for a few good doctors. Make that a few thousand. The baby boomer generation is aging, and reformers want to provide health coverage to millions of uninsured Americans. But there's already a...

Bill would boost study of autoimmune disease: Rep. Kennedy: associated healthcare costs are 'staggering'.(Legislation)
May 1, 2009... Autoimmune diseases--when the body's immune system attacks its own tissue--are many, varied, and mysterious. A bill introduced April 23 would pump more than $43 million into autoimmune disease research, awareness, and prevention. The...

Need help proving HIT's value in a clinic? NIH funds research on how information systems can improve patient care.(Grants)
May 1, 2009... Ambulatory care centers that want to use information technology to improve the quality, safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of healthcare should know about an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality grant program. The program,...

OIG shines fraud-curbing light on healthcare reform: 5-prong fraud prevention plan paves the way.(Fraud & Abuse)
May 1, 2009... The HHS Office of Inspector General prepared a statement for the Senate Finance Committee in April with a very clear message: The government must step up its fraud prevention in healthcare, and the OIG is there to help. The agency touted a...

Proposed law aims to address geriatrician shortage: education loan forgiveness to be the incentive.(Legislation)(Report)
May 1, 2009... In the next two decades, the number of Americans 65 or older will nearly double to 77 million--and that figure becomes daunting when you consider that the United States currently has about 7,500 geriatricians. The gap between demand for...

HME industry overpaid by Medicare, says OIG: Watchdog agency urges lawmakers to shorten oxygen cap to 13 months.
May 1, 2009... Senators recently got an earful about excessive payments in the home medical equipment industry. In the Senate Finance Committee's roundtable discussion on health care finance reform April 21, the HHS Office of Inspector General highlighted...

Inpatient rehabilitation facilities can now view.(In other news ...)
May 1, 2009... Inpatient rehabilitation facilities can now view their proposed 2010 Medicare payment policy in the Federal Register. And they should read it carefully because it's not just your regular annual update. The proposed rule not only updates...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched National Infant Immunization Week April 25 through May 2, 2009 to remind parents, caregivers, and health care providers of the importance of routine childhood vaccination.(In other news ...)
May 1, 2009... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched National Infant Immunization Week April 25 through May 2, 2009 to remind parents, caregivers, and health care providers of the importance of routine childhood vaccination. ...

Think back to October when the Mental Health Parity Act was passed.(In other news ...)
May 1, 2009... Think back to October when the Mental Health Parity Act was passed. The federal government wants your feedback. This new law seeks to establish parity between the financial health coverage for mental health/substance abuse conditions and...

Kathleen Sebelius has been sworn in as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.(In other news ...)
May 1, 2009... Kathleen Sebelius has been sworn in as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. The former Kansas governor, officially in her new position on April 28, fills the final seat in President Obama's Cabinet. Sebelius will be in...

Congress births FY 2010 budget, healthcare reform still on horizon: party lines split budget vote.(Federal Budget)
May 8, 2009... Moving with more speed than usual, Congress passed President Barack Obama's $3.4 trillion fiscal year 2010 budget resolution on April 29. The final budget resolution was approved in the House by a vote of 233 to 193 and in the Senate by a vote...

Public weighs in on the swine flu: less than half of those polled think it's a serious health hazard.(Public Health)(Survey)
May 8, 2009... For a view through U.S. citizens' eyes on how bad the swine flu is, check out the graphs below, provided by Silverlink Communications. The healthcare communication services company recently ran a poll querying people of the seriousness of the...

Should HPV vaccine be compulsory for U.S. girls? Vaccine proves popular in California, but legislators are tougher to win over.(Vaccinations)
May 8, 2009... Less than two years after the human papillomavirus vaccine was approved as a routine vaccination for girls, one-quarter of California adolescent girls have started the series of shots that protect against human papillomavirus, which is strongly...

No. 1 alcohol problem? Cheap booze, British docs say: U.K. clinicians' concerns reflect those of American college parents.(Substance Abuse)
May 8, 2009... British doctors and nurses agree: If you want to address problems related to alcohol abuse, you've got to raise the price of cheap booze. A snapshot survey of doctors and nurses who treat patients that have alcohol-related harm showed that...

Project looks to expand reach of personal health records; could daily journaling of exercise, meals, pain, and sleep help doctors treat patients?(Grants)
May 8, 2009... The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation seeks projects "to assess and test the potential of 'observations of daily living' to help patients and physicians better manage chronic illnesses," according to a press release. The teams chosen to...

OIG blasts fraudulent S. Florida inhalation drug claims; Medicare paid five times more for two brand-name inhalation meds in Miami.(Fraud & Abuse)
May 8, 2009... The HHS Office of Inspector General's latest report slams fraudulent billing for inhalation medications used in conjunction with durable medical equipment, particularly budesonide and levalbuterol. "Although only 2 percent of Medicare...

Key in to arthritis issues this month: CMS reminds providers about Medicare coverage for this disease.(Health Awareness)
May 8, 2009... The Arthritis Foundation is busy broadcasting that May is National Arthritis Awareness Month. In addition to touting the national Walk for Arthritis, the Foundation's Web site, www.arthritis.org, lists helpful information for providers and...

Another Medicare fraud contractor makes debut; zone program integrity contractors to take over program safeguard contractors.
May 8, 2009... Medicare is in the midst of naming its new fraud-fighting contractors. The agency recently announced its third Zone Program Integrity Contractor, Rockville, Md.-based AdvanceMed Corp., which will cover Zone 5: West Virginia, Virginia, North...

Ever since its 1997 report concluded that a North Carolina Marine base's drinking water was safe, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has been under pressure from community activists who said the agency was sweeping a serious chemical-exposure problem under the rug.(In other news ...)
May 8, 2009... Ever since its 1997 report concluded that a North Carolina Marine base's drinking water was safe, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has been under pressure from community activists who said the agency was sweeping a serious...

CMS dropped a major bomb for skilled nursing facilities.(In other news ...)
May 8, 2009... CMS dropped a major bomb for skilled nursing facilities in the recently published proposed SNF PPS payment update for 2010. The rule unveils the new RUG-IV system, which determines how SNFs get paid for Medicare Part A stays. Changes include...

The HHS Office of Inspector General posted Recovery Act materials.(In other news ...)
May 8, 2009... The HHS Office of Inspector General posted Recovery Act materials to its Web site on April 29. This is the same information that's on www.recovery.gov, but it's in a slightly different form, the OIG said. To see the first OIG Monthly Recovery...

Views on value of public health plan heat up: pros, cons, and opinions fill news sources.(Opinions)
May 15, 2009... As Congress gears up for a run at comprehensive health reform in the coming months, advocates and opponents in the public sector voice their opinions in newspapers, town meetings, blogs, and more. Advocates of President Barack Obama's...

Strange bedfellows promise to slow growth of medical costs: docs, payers try to prevent a new federal health plan for the uninsured.(Healthcare Reform)
May 15, 2009... In a bid for a seat at the healthcare-reform table, representatives of the healthcare industry have offered President Barack Obama $2 trillion in cost reductions over 10 years. Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says all systems are go...

Study: hospital superbug more prevalent than was thought: association issues recommendations to fight C diff.(Infectious Disease)
May 15, 2009... A recent study indicates that a killer microbe is more commonplace in U.S. hospitals than has been thought. The survey of healthcare facilities, conducted in 2008 and reported in the American Journal of Infection Control, documents a higher...

Improve emergency medicine for kids: agencies seek research to defragment pediatric emergency care.(Grants)
May 15, 2009... Grant money is available to improve research on emergency medical services for children with the goal of reducing morbidity and mortality through improved care delivery. Areas of research include: * Prevention research to reduce the need...

Occupational therapy shines beacon of hope for caregivers: healthcare providers can benefit too.(Research)
May 15, 2009... It's no news that occupational therapy can benefit older patients suffering from dementia, but a recent study shows that OT can also aid senior caregivers. Research published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry tested an...

Acute inpatient and long-term care hospitals take a hit in proposed 2010 payments: CMS: the adjustment is necessary to account for documentation and coding changes.(Medicare)
May 15, 2009... The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services did some heavy number crunching in its newly proposed IPPS and LTCH PPS rule--and the acute care and long-term care hospitals affected by this rule won't be happy. In the announcement issued May...

New bill pushes for faster access to physical therapy: recently introduced legislation defers to states' 'direct access' laws.(Physical Therapy)
May 15, 2009... Before getting physical therapy, all Medicare beneficiaries need a physician's referral or certification of a plan of care--but that could change if Congress passes a bill now on the floor. On May 6, the US Senate introduced legislation...

CMS extends deadline for complying with Red Flags Rule: providers now have until Aug. 1 to step up their identity theft safeguards.
May 15, 2009... May 1 has come and gone--and some healthcare providers haven't yet prepared for the government's Red Flags Rule, which was supposed to go into effect by then. However, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has made the rule effective on...

Medicare providers can expect to use a new HIPAA 5010 form by 2010.(In other news ...)
May 15, 2009... Medicare providers can expect to use a new HIPAA 5010 form by 2010. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is prepping for ICD-10 diagnosis codes and advises providers that they "must be ready to submit claims electronically using the X12...

Stay up-to-date on the swine flu at http:cdc.gov/ h1n1flu/.(In other news ...)
May 15, 2009... Stay up-to-date on the swine flu at http:cdc.gov/ h1n1flu/. As of May 12, 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 3,009 cases of the swing flu on this Web site, which it updates daily. These cases span 45 states and have...

A new team of people is gearing up to work on health reform.(In other news ...)
May 15, 2009... A new team of people is gearing up to work on health reform. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced on May 11 the newly appointed staff of the HHS Office of Health Reform, which will coordinate closely...

In honor of Mother's Day, CMS reminded providers to take advantage of Medicare-covered preventive services to keep women healthy.(In other news ...)
May 15, 2009... In honor of Mother's Day, CMS reminded providers to take advantage of Medicare-covered preventive services to keep women healthy. For example, Medicare covers mammograms, bone mass measurements, screening pap tests, and screening pelvic exams....

Policymakers gain momentum on hospital and post-acute payment bundling: plus: P4P gets renewed emphasis from influential senators.(Medicare)
May 22, 2009... With a new presidential administration and congressional majority itching to make sweeping healthcare changes, things soon could look very different for post-acute care providers--with some seriously negative consequences for them. And a...

Employers push more medical costs on workers: expect to see more consumer-directed health plans.(Trends)
May 22, 2009... Employers are paying less for employees" healthcare, and those workers are picking up the tab, a healthcare consulting firm says. Employees' share of healthcare costs grew by an average $650 per worker, including $500 in increased payroll...

Nurses want their HealthcareReform voices heard, too: single-payer advocates say senators have locked them out.(Politics)
May 22, 2009... Hundreds of nurses rallied on Capitol Hill on May 12-13 in an attempt to have their voices and opinions on healthcare reform heard as lawmakers begin to draft legislation. The rally included the California Nurses Association-National...

NIH wants to fund studies on healthcare for obese: obese patients may face institutional risk factors in addition to health problems.(Grants)
May 22, 2009... Those who want to understand barriers to healthcare for obese patients or those trying to improve health outcomes for obese patients may be interested in applying for a grant from the National Institutes of Health. America's obesity...

Women get the short end of the stick in healthcare: a 22-year-old woman can pay 1.5 times more in premiums than a 22-year-old man.(Studies & Reports)
May 22, 2009... The new Health and Human Services Secretary has her eye on healthcare disparities between men and women. Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Tina Tchen, director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and Executive Director of the White...

Stay in the healthcare update loop at these CMS meetings: HIPAA, ICD-10, DMEPOS take the spotlight.(Conference Calls)
May 22, 2009... Providers can stay up to date on the latest healthcare changes via conference calls hosted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. See what's coming up: * HIPAA Version 5010--What you need to know! CMS will host a national...

HRSA extends a hand to HIV and AIDS victims: the award: $1.79 billion in grants.(Grants)
May 22, 2009... Organizations that help people with HIV and AIDS can tap into some new funding opportunities. The Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, announced on May 14 the release of...

Hospice cap changes unveiled: CMS releases 2009 cap amount early.
May 22, 2009... Hospices wondering whether they'll have trouble with exceeding the per beneficiary cap this year shouldn't have to wonder much longer. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued the 2009 hospice cap amount early "to assist the hospice...

CMS dealt a hard hand to acute inpatient hospitals and long-term care hospitals.(In other news ...)
May 22, 2009... * CMS dealt a hard hand to acute inpatient hospitals and long-term care hospitals in its proposed 2010 PPS payment rule (see the last issue of Medicine & Health), but there are some items that could help soften the blow to hospitals paid under...

May 19th was World Hepatitis day.(In other news ...)
May 22, 2009... * May 19th was World Hepatitis Day, CMS announced in an email to providers. Hepatitis B is a highly infectious disease caused by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV). Chronic HBV infection can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer, liver failure,...

CMS has released payment updates for inpatient psychiatric facilities.(In other news ...)
May 22, 2009... * CMS has released payment updates for inpatient psychiatric facilities for rate year 2010 (beginning July 1, 2009). CMS-1495-NC titled "Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities Prospective Payment System Payment Update for Rate Year Beginning July 1,...

Congress is paying attention to speech-language pathology telehealth services. Rep. Mike Thompson.(In other news ...)
May 22, 2009... * Congress is paying attention to speech-language pathology telehealth services. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) recently introduced H.R. 2068, the Medicare Telehealth Enhancement Act of 2009, which would provide Medicare reimbursement for...

FDA moves closer to regulating cigarettes: Senate committee approves bill and sends legislation to the floor.(Legislation)
May 29, 2009... The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee approved a bill on May 20 giving the FDA authority to regulate tobacco products. The nod came by a 15-8 vote, according to Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), who shepherded the bill...

Insurers' lobbying buys a seat at the table: health plans embrace reform in order to fend off the worst.(Reform)
May 29, 2009... You may not see a "Harry and Louise" ad that slams efforts to reform U.S. healthcare, but don't think interested parties aren't hard at work to sway legislators as they contemplate sweeping changes this summer. UnitedHealth Group Inc., the...

Rules might wipe some smiles from ad faces: FDA proposal addresses cognition and context in drug, medical device promotions.(Policy)
May 29, 2009... Merely citing the specific risks of a drug or medical device may not be enough to satisfy the Food and Drug Administration's watchdogs. Advertisers may have to tone down the happy imagery and take care with their typography, too. In...

HHS seeks cure for Childhood Obesity epidemic: grants target multidisciplinary research.(Grants)
May 29, 2009... The Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment Research Consortium funding opportunity aims to improve communication between prevention and treatment efforts and to identify interventions that work. Childhood obesity is a major problem. In...

Healthcare benefits shouldn't be a free ride, many say: many would change behaviors if they could save $350 per month.(Surveys)
May 29, 2009... The American public may need to put its money where its mouth is, as it complains about healthcare policy and reform. In a recent survey measuring consumers' perceptions about personal accountability in healthcare, more than half of respondents...

See what Americans think about healthcare accountability: savings in prevention could be a motivating factor.(Statistics)
May 29, 2009... See What Americans Think About Healthcare Accountability In general, is a person's health within their own control No 24% Yes 76% Source: Suffolk University & Silverlink Communications Note: Table made...

Individual Health Insurance market paints a grim picture for women: impossible rates may squash incentive to obtain preventative care.(Health Benefits)
May 29, 2009... Women's advocates and lawmakers are up in arms about gender disparities in healthcare coverage--and the problem's been brewing long before Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius brought it to the forefront a couple weeks ago (see...

Providers prepare for 141 new diagnosis codes effective Oct. 1: some of the new codes may help with ICD-10 transition.(Coding)
May 29, 2009... Although ICD-10 implementation is looming around the comer, providers can't forget to stay up-to-date on the newest ICD-9 updates, too. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued 141 new diagnosis codes that go into effect Oct. 1....

HHS looks to strengthen non-profits, faith based groups: Strengthening Communities Fund is supported by American recovery and reinvestment act.
May 29, 2009... The Department of Health and Human Services announced on May 11 the availability of grants worth $50 million from the Strengthening Communities Fund, a new fund created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The fund will strengthen...

The Senior Medicare Patrol project may be losing momentum.(In other news ...)
May 29, 2009... * The Senior Medicare Patrol project may be losing momentum, but it could still cause headaches for providers if their patients don't understand how Medicare billing works. In 2008, 57 Patrol projects in all 50 states and Puerto Rico had...

People tend to report more health problems after losing their jobs.(Brief article)
May 29, 2009... * People tend to report more health problems after losing their jobs, according to a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study recently dusted off by USA Today. In fact, study authors concluded that an unexpected job loss can have "significant and...