Doctor Grafted Skin to Aid Drug Dealers, U.S. Authorities Say

 

HARRISBURG, Pa., May 11 (AP) — A Mexican doctor surgically removed drug traffickers’ fingerprints, substituting skin from the soles of their feet, to help the traffickers avoid arrest, the authorities said Friday.

The doctor, José L. Covarrubias, was arrested at the Mexican border on Wednesday as he tried to enter the United Stated. He was indicted the same day in connection with a marijuana-dealing ring based here.

The indictment says Dr. Covarrubias surgically removed the fingerprints of Marc George, a co-defendant named in the drug indictment. The doctor is believed to have performed the surgery for about four other people, said William Behe, an assistant United States attorney.

Source: Doctor Grafted Skin to Aid Drug Dealers, U.S. Authorities Say - New York Times

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Hip/Knee Replacements Costs Expected To Skyrocket In Future Years, USA

The number of joint replacement procedures and their associated hospital charges are growing explosively in the U.S. and the numbers are projected to increase over the next decade, a recent study suggests. A researcher from Florida International University (FIU) analyzed the recent trend of hip/knee replacement loads followed by the projection of the costs associated to the surgery in the year 2020 in the U.S.
The national bill of hospital charges for primary hip/knee replacements were 22.9 billion in 2004 compared to 10.8 billion dollars in the year 2000. If current trends continue, in the year 2020, hospital charges will reach nearly 120 billion dollars for the 712,000 and 2 million primary hip and knee replacements, respectively.

Source: Hip/Knee Replacements Costs Expected To Skyrocket In Future Years, USA

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Departure' In Medicare Practice Of Paying Physicians Featured In Geriatric Care Improvement Act, USA

One big word here...patient involvement..and IT technology for a 2nd..BD

-- Care is coordinated and/or integrated across all elements of the complex health care system (e.g., subspecialty care, hospitals, home health agencies, nursing homes) and the patient's community (e.g., family, public and private community-based services). Care is facilitated by registries, information technology, health information exchange and other means to assure that patients get the indicated care when and where they need and want it in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.
-- Quality and safety are hallmarks of the medical home:
- Practices advocate for their patients to support the attainment of optimal, patient-centered outcomes that are defined by a care planning process driven by a compassionate, robust partnership between physicians, patients, and the patient's family.
- Evidence-based medicine and clinical decision-support tools guide decision making
- Physicians in the practice accept accountability for continuous quality improvement through voluntary engagement in performance measurement and improvement.
- Patients actively participate in decision-making and feedback is sought to ensure patients' expectations are being met
- Information technology is utilized appropriately to support optimal patient care, performance measurement, patient education, and enhanced communication
- Practices go through a voluntary recognition process by an appropriate non-governmental entity to demonstrate that they have the capabilities to provide patient centered services consistent with the medical home model.
-Patients and families participate in quality improvement activities at the practice level.

 

Source: Departure' In Medicare Practice Of Paying Physicians Featured In Geriatric Care Improvement Act, USA

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Blue Cross makes about-face on cancellations

 

Blue Cross of California agreed Thursday to stop canceling individual health coverage unless it can show policyholder deception — a major shift by the state's largest health insurer that could lead to sweeping industrywide changes.
The move is part of an effort to settle a class-action lawsuit on behalf of as many as 6,000 people canceled since late 2001. It is an about-face for Blue Cross in what had become known as "use-it-and-lose-it" health coverage because the cancellations were often triggered by patients' claims for treatment.

Among other changes, Blue Cross agreed to consult policyholders about application problems in deciding whether a rescission was justified.
Jerry Flanagan, an advocate with the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Consumer and Taxpayer Rights, said the deal was a step in the right direction. But, he said, the problem won't go away unless regulators require health plans to prove to them that an applicant intentionally lied before any rescission is final. The proposed settlement maintains policyholders' current right to appeal to regulators only after a cancellation.

Source: Blue Cross makes about-face on cancellations - Los Angeles Times

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Intel, PGP cooperate on selling encryption products

 One more story about encryption, Intel processors are also combining PGP technology (pretty good privacy) a technology that has been around for quite a while with the new Centrino processor platform as well as the business V-Pro Platform.  Security is on everyone's mind today...if you haven't thought about encrypted data for security, it might be a good time to read up and see what is available...the "basic PGP" has been open source for a number of years.  BD

The latest version of Intel's Centrino product set--a Core 2 Duo processor, chipset and wireless chip--was launched on Wednesday.

PGP's encryption products will be marketed through Intel's channel of resellers, systems integrators and distributors.

The security firm will sell its Encryption Platform and Whole Disk Encryption products to operate on Intel Centrino- and vPro-based systems running Windows Vista and XP. Intel will integrate PGP's products into its Active Management Technology framework, which enables IT professionals to remotely troubleshoot desktops and notebooks.

"Intel understands the importance of comprehensive data security," said Mooly Eden, vice president and general manager of Intel's mobile platforms group. "Our agreement with PGP Corporation will offer customers the additional security of file, folder, and full-disk encryption on Intel Centrino Pro and Intel vPro processor technology-based systems."

Source: Intel, PGP cooperate on selling encryption products

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Microsoft and SanDisk Join Forces to Create New Experience for USB Flash Drives and Flash Memory Cards, Expanding on and Replacing U3 Smart Technology

This is good news for those who use the USB Flash drives.  Next time you are in the market for a portable flash drive, be sure to look at the U3 drives.  These are a little different from the normal usb drives in the fact they load as a drive and a CD.  When you insert the usb drive, you can easily see both under Windows Explorer.  Are you transporting sensitive medical data on on USB Drive?  The U3 drives contain their own menus, virus software and other included software that will allow you to encrypt the information on the drive, a must today as you do not want to be carrying around a drive that someone could easily intercept and accidentally divulge any patient medical information. 

If you are an Outlook user, you can also use the drive to take with you as an email client to read email anywhere and then synchronize the content with Outlook when you return to your "matched" home computer.  You pair the device with a PC, similar in nature to how you match with blue tooth.  Outlook and any files carried on the drive are encrypted, so if you loose or misplace the drive, it's not going to be easy for someone to find your files and information.  I use one all the time and it works well.  BD

                              

REDMOND, Wash., and MILPITAS, Calif. — May 11, 2007 — Microsoft Corp. and SanDisk^® Corp. today announced they have signed an agreement to deliver a next-generation software and hardware solution to place application programs and personal customization on USB flash drives and flash memory cards, expanding on and replacing SanDisk’s existing U3^™ Smart Technology.

Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will develop a new software experience and SanDisk will develop new hardware capabilities, including the addition of TrustedFlash™ security technology. SanDisk will incorporate the combined software and hardware solution on removable flash memory cards and Cruzer^® USB flash drives. The new offering is expected to be commercially available starting in the second half of 2008.

More information about U3 flash drives can be found here:

http://www.sandisk.com/Corporate/PressRoom/PressReleases/PressRelease.aspx?ID=3196

http://www.dmailer.com/site/dmailersync/dmailersync.html

Source:  http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2007/may07/05-11SanDisk07PR.mspx

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TabletPC2 - Latest Information on Tablet PCs

The Medical Quack is now an added link on TabletPC2, one of the top sites for up to date information about tablet PCs. When you are looking for additional information about tablet PCs, be sure to pay a visit and see what's new.

In addition to regular reviews, the site also has some very nice previews from time to time on pre-released and upcoming events.  Be sure to check out the story about the Hollywood Bowl using Tablets for their music system!  It's amazing what is being done with tablets today!

http://www.tabletpc2.com/Links.htm

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More Patients Suffering Infections At Hospitals - unwashed hands as a big contributor

 

"We're seeing an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria," said Dr. Timothy Dellit, the Director of Infection Control at Harborview Medical Center.

Dellit says 2 million people are infected in the nation's hospitals every year -- people who expected to get better, not sicker when they came in for treatment.

That's because hospitals contain a lot of sick patients, and their illnesses are easily passed to others, creating a huge problem.

The biggest villain: unwashed hands.

Hands can be a powerful breeding ground for deadly bacteria. A staggering number can thrive on the just the tip of a finger.

"Anywhere from 10,000 to a million bacteria per cubic centimeter, an area the size of a quarter," he said.

And yet, studies from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta show fully 60 percent of doctors and other health care workers fail to wash their hands between each patient.

Source: More Patients Suffering Infections At Hospitals - Consumer News Story - KIRO Seattle

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OxyContin maker, executives plead guilty

ROANOKE, Va. - The maker of the powerful painkiller OxyContin and three of its current and former executives pleaded guilty Thursday to misleading the public about the drug's risk of addiction, a federal prosecutor and the company said.

Purdue Pharma L.P., its president, top lawyer and former chief medical officer will pay $634.5 million in fines for claiming the drug was less addictive and less subject to abuse than other pain medications, U.S. Attorney John Brownlee said.

The plea agreement settled a national case and came two days after the Stamford, Conn.-based company agreed to pay $19.5 million to 26 states and the District of Columbia to settle complaints that it encouraged physicians to overprescribe OxyContin.

Source: OxyContin maker, executives plead guilty - Yahoo! News

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I.T. Exec Out of Touch? 7 Signs - not only for IT executives, but CEOS, CIOS, VPS, etc.

I just ran across this article and boy does it make some real good points.  Many times IT management has to rely on decision made by others in higher rank who hold the purse strings and time after time they are dealing with "fossils" who "just don't get it".  I have heard the seven comments below from many who are afraid of accepting change and make little or no effort to keep abreast of the changing business world.  One of the more commonly used fossil phrases I have heard is "I don't want to know anything about how things work, just fix it" and in today's world if that isn't one foot in the tech grave, I don't know what could come any closer...BD

How to tell if you—or your colleagues—have become fossilized.

We are all keenly aware that there are hundreds of I.T. consultants around the world ready to jump to our assistance. Of course, many of these experts can be out of touch with the latest developments in their respective fields, but they still try to dazzle you with their multicolored charts and models. This poses considerable risk, especially to I.T. professionals who are constantly on the lookout for new ideas and methods.

Below are seven ways to spot whether a CIO or other executive—or consultant—is out of touch:

1. Research is considered to be a waste of time. "We have been very successful and our experience speaks for itself." (love this one - usually these are the easiest fossils to recognize too..BD)
2. Lack of critical thinking. "That may work well within such and such an organization, but we are different." (have heard this one many times perhaps the most overdone fossil response..BD)
3. An inability to take constructive criticism and lack of respect for varied opinions. "We are the originators of this method/product/theory. Who are they/you to question us?"
4. Maintaining a positive image at all costs. "What would people think of us if this didn't work as expected?" (this is a big one and very visible fossil..BD)
5. Lack of effective practice. "We have been advised by the best minds in the business. We can skip the experimental phase." (oh yes, this is another good one and usually indicates a fear of changing or learning fossil...BD)
6. Blind faith in experts and top executives. "How can we go wrong? These people have worked with the top companies around the world for years." (one of my favorites, the fossil from the old school that doesn't want to do the research homework and relies on talk instead of facts for their evaluations...BD)
7. An aversion to introspection. "We don't need that fuzzy self-examination of feelings, thoughts and motives around here. We are practical people." (overconfident fossil that can't see the forest for the trees...BD)

So, it's quite apparent that occasionally we can all get out of touch. The best we can do is to use extreme caution as we go through cycles of theory development and theory modification or replacement. Hence, no matter what conceptual framework we come up with, we should be keenly aware that something else most likely will eventually replace or modify the older models.

Source: I.T. Exec Out of Touch? 7 Signs

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FDA Approves Neupro Patch for Treatment of Early Parkinson's Disease

Be sure to check the rolling FDA news announcements on the left hand side of the page, these are updated hourly and daily with information from the FDA.  BD

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the approval of Neupro (rotigotine transdermal system), a skin patch designed to treat symptoms of early Parkinson's disease.

Rotigotine is a drug not previously approved in the United States. Neupro is the first transdermal patch approved for the treatment of symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease, which belongs to a group of conditions called motor system disorders, results from the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells. Rotigotine, a member of the dopamine agonist class of drugs, is delivered continuously through the skin (transdermal) using a silicone-based patch that is replaced every 24 hours. A dopamine agonist works by activating dopamine receptors in the body, mimicking the effect of the neurotransmitter dopamine.

Source: FDA Approves Neupro Patch for Treatment of Early Parkinson's Disease

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Justice Department Makes 38 Arrests in Medicare Fraud Case

If things haven't been tough enough with protecting patient identity with security, now we have these folks who decided they wanted to earn some extra cash by allowing thieves to use their Medicare cards for fraudulent purposes...nice they were caught though as the Justice Department moves into action on these types of crimes..BD

Federal prosecutors on Wednesday announced the arrest of 38 individuals in South Florida over allegations that they defrauded Medicare of more than $142 million after a more than two-month investigation by federal, state and local authorities, the Miami Herald reports.
U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said that the defendants paid Medicare beneficiaries for use of their card numbers to allow them to submit fraudulent claims (Clark, Miami Herald, 5/10).
The defendants used the card numbers to submit fraudulent Medicare claims for power wheelchairs, walkers or kits to test blood sugar levels, according to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt (Baltimore Sun, 5/10).

Source: Justice Department Makes 38 Arrests in Medicare Fraud Case - California Healthline

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Michael Moore's "Sicko" documentary project causing preemptive fear among drug companies

I was not aware of the new film slated to be released at the end of June.  I guess I need to perhaps see if I can talk to Mr. Moore to receive free health care too (ref. last line in the post)...BD

(NewsTarget) -- Michael Moore's upcoming 2007 documentary "Sicko" -- aimed at the $1.5 trillion healthcare and pharmaceutical industry -- has mobilized many companies within the medical industry to try to discredit Moore and the film, AdAge.com reports.

"To read about the misery people are put through on a daily basis by our profit-based system was both moving and revolting," Moore writes. The filmmaker says he won't discuss the documentary with the public, but says, "'Sicko' is a comedy about 45 million people with no health care in the richest country on Earth."

Moore says that every family he talks to about healthcare nightmares suddenly receives free health care when pharmaceutical companies learn they've spoken to Moore. "There has been a 100 percent success rate of the people we're filming of getting whatever they need from HMOs, pharmaceutical companies, whatever," Moore says.

Source:  http://www.newstarget.com/z020085.html

Hat Tip:  Kevin MD Medical Blog

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Project melds health-care, banking info

Interesting article here about combining health and banking, incentives and lessons for the medical arena from banking??  This also advocates more patient/consumer involvement rather than the entire burden being on the physician as well.  BD

Imagine going to your bank's Web site and being able to pick a doctor, schedule an office visit, check lab results or pay a bill from your last appointment.

That's one of the initiatives of the Medical Banking Project, a Franklin-based think tank that advocates using back-office systems perfected by banks to slash health-care costs.

Casillas agrees privacy concerns are a barrier. But he said that even without passage of the bills likely to be sponsored by Republican Sen. Sam Brownbackand Democrat Rep. Dennis Moore, both of Kansas, banks could proceed.

In the medical banking model, consumers would have control over their records, Casillas said.

For Casillas, there's also challenges in getting banks and health plans to work together because both ultimately want to own the consumer.

Source: Project melds health-care, banking info - Nashville, Tennessee - Wednesday, 05/09/07 - Tennessean.com

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New Online Personal Health Records Program For Verizon Employees

If you have patients working for Verizon, they now have the opportunity to print and share their medical records wtih the physician's office if they opt for the free Personal Records Program being offered...BD

First of its kind program designed to increase efficiency, quality of care and empower verizon employees as health care consumers.
In a move to use technology to reduce inefficiencies in the delivery of health care and make it more responsive to consumers' and physicians' needs, Verizon has implemented a new program that provides company employees with secure, 24/7 access online to their medical and prescription history, a robust snapshot of their health status that can be shared with health care providers.

This is the first step toward an interoperable system that will seamlessly connect all pieces of the health care puzzle -- patients, clinicians, pharmacies, labs, hospitals and others."

Easy-to-read charts and reports are accessible online and can be printed and shared with physicians, and help create an informed health care consumer. The information is password-protected and kept secure and confidential, accessible only by the employee and, if an employee chooses, by his or her health care providers.
Verizon's personal health records tool works independent of an employee's health plan and is completely portable, even if the employee retires or leaves the company.

In addition, Verizon was a founding member of pay-for-performance programs Bridges to Excellence and Leapfrog, which reward providers and hospitals for quality care and health information technology implementation.
In 2006 alone, Verizon spent $3.5 billion to provide health care for more than 900,000 employees, dependents and retirees.  

Source: Jobs > New Online Personal Health Records Program For Verizon Employees

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Gates outlines goals for Microsoft's ad business

Bill Gates speaks out on the continued decline of newspapers and yellow pages for ads...I have noticed myself that many papers are in fact getting much thinner these days...saving some trees too...BD

Television, newspapers and all forms of publishing are being fundamentally changed by a shift to digital media, Bill Gates said on Tuesday as Microsoft kicked off a conference for large online advertisers.

"Yellow Page[s] usage among people below 50 will drop to near zero in the next five years," Gates told a crowd of more than 1,000 people from the advertising, publishing and tech industries at the company's Strategic Account Summit.

TV is being overhauled in a similar way, as broadcast media suddenly have to compete with videos posted to YouTube. Newspapers are moving to digital forums but finding plenty of competition for things like the job classifieds that were once their exclusive domain.

Gates said he has a lot of friends in the newspaper business, but added there is also an "inexorable decline" in the use of newspapers to get news, even local news. "This is a tough, wrenching change for them," Gates said.

Source: Gates outlines goals for Microsoft's ad business - ZDNet UK

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Medical identity theft affects millions of Americans

This can be a rude awakening for anyone.  It could also be life threatening if as an example you were given the wrong blood type for a transfusion if records were erroneous.  It also creates a good reason for maintaining your own personal health record as well as one kept at the physician's office.  There are many ways other than the computer to secure this information, such as paper items (a case here for less paper as well) in the trash containing patient information. 

If you haven't read the recent articles on TJ Max retailers, they are still digging their way out of the less than adequately secured wireless network that allowed one individual with a notebook to hack thousands of records and sell the identities overseas.  This is also a good case for securing a wireless network with encryption, especially in any medical office and to not use any devices to transport medical data that are not encrypted.  You don't need to be on a computer to have your identity compromised. 

(ST. PETERSBURG, FL) A Colorado man whose name, social security number and address were stolen was billed $44,000 by a hospital for a surgical procedure he never had. Two years later, he's still working to clear his name and credit rating.

Part of the problem, Long says, is that people don't know what medical identity theft is or they don't care much about it. According to the survey, 47.7 percent had never even heard the term before, while only 52 percent agreed that "allowing a family member to use your insurance card to receive medical care," is an example of medical identity theft.

He believes medical identity theft isn't being taken seriously enough, even though "it's the first information crime that could actually jeopardize your life." Part of the problem, he says, is that most people affected by this crime don't even know who targeted them, making it difficult to seek any sort of retribution.

This is a another good source for information regarding identify theft.  As a medical practice, it makes sense to take all precautions to lock down sensitive patient and practice information. 

http://www.worldprivacyforum.org/medidtheft_consumertips.html

Source: Study: Medical identity theft affects millions of Americans

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Employers, Insurers Begin To Reduce Or Eliminate Prescription Drug Copays For Some Chronic Disease Medications

This is a puzzling matter as the emphasis is to address chronic diseases and from what I have read here, it looks like it is going to be a bit more difficult to receive co-pay coverage in the future as things evolve.  On the other side of the coin, many of the medications are available for the $4.00 charge at Target and WalMart/Sam's Club, so it looks like this is being bounced back to the patient to shop prescription costs once more.   Perhaps this is what the insurance companies have in mind?  BD

Employers such as Marriott International, Procter & Gamble, Eastman Chemical and Pitney Bowes have begun to reduce or eliminate copays for certain medications. Andrew Scibelli -- manager of the health management programs at Florida Power & Light, which has considered the reduction or elimination of copays for medications for diabetes and coronary artery disease -- said, "Cost shifting (onto employees) is the easier way to attack cost. But it comes right back at you because you're not attacking the root cause."

Health insurer Aetna later this year plans to launch "one of the most ambitious studies of the tailored approach" to copays for medications, the Journal reports. For the study, Aetna will eliminate copays for the four classes of prescription medications recommended for individuals who have experienced heart attacks: statins, ace inhibitors, beta blockers and ARBs.

Source: Employers, Insurers Begin To Reduce Or Eliminate Prescription Drug Copays For Some Chronic Disease Medications

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Hospitals get bonuses for quality of care from CMS

 Medicare also has P4P for hospitals as well and it appears this could be substantial.  BD

A demonstration project that Medicare officials describe as groundbreaking has improved the quality of patient care at participating hospitals, and according to hospital officials, saved the lives of 1,284 heart attack patients.
The program, which gives hospitals incentives for complying with quality-of-care guidelines, will provide bonus Medicare payments totaling nearly $8.7 million to 115 of the 260 participating hospitals. It was the second year of the program and the bonuses.
Even the hospitals that did not win bonus payments improved the quality of care to a greater extent than the average American hospital, Herb Kuhn, acting deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told reporters Jan. 26.

Source: Hospitals get bonuses for quality of care

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CMS posts guidelines on earning bonuses

Information regarding Medicare P4P has been posted, 74 measures as the article quotes...I am guessing you might certainly need a bit of technology automation to be quickly report back to qualify...BD

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted details of the 74 performance quality measures that will be used to decide 2007 bonuses for physicians providing services to Medicare patients.

The measures are part of the voluntary Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) run by CMS. The program began after President Bush signed legislation in December 2006 that provides for a payment of up to 1.5 percent on top of physicians’ regular Medicare fees.

The first PQRI period runs from July 1 through Dec. 31. Eligible physicians and medical professionals who choose to participate must pick those measures relevant to their patient care from the list of measures. They then report on the measures by submitting the associated quality-data codes associated with the Medicare claims forms.

Source: CMS posts guidelines on earning bonuses

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Hospitals: Cheapskates, Charities, or Both?

 

Here’s a health-care Rorschach test, courtesy of a recent analysis of hospitals charges to the uninsured. Are hospitals hard up, collecting only 39 cents for every dollar they bill? Or are they bullies, billing the uninsured $3.07 for every dollar that Medicare would pay for the same services?

Both, naturally, says Gerard Anderson, professor of health policy at Johns Hopkins, in an article in the current issue of policy journal Health Affairs.

But Anderson tells the Health Blog that from the point of view that matters most to patients, hospitals’ “ratio of charges to costs has just gone up and up and up.” Crunching Medicare data from 2004, Anderson found that hospitals have been raising their list prices an average of 10.7% a year since the mid-1980s; Medicare rates – a proxy for actual costs – have gone up more slowly, at about 6.3%.

Lawmakers, or the courts, may force some hospitals to set rate ceilings for the uninsured. “The most obvious” solution, Anderson notes, “is to provide health insurance to the forty-six million uninsured Americans.”

Source: Health Blog : Hospitals: Cheapskates, Charities, or Both?

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More firms say they will divulge CME grants

Recently we have read a lot of negativity regarding big Pharma, it is nice to see some positives once n a while as well.  This appears to be a good effort to be transparent and let folks know where the grant dollars go as related to physician CME issues...BD 

More firms say they will divulge CME grants
Several other commercial supporters of CME grants will follow Eli Lilly’s lead in disclosing med-ed funding, officials said at a recent industry conference.
Lilly set a precedent when it launched its online CME grant registry last week. The Web site lists names of grantees, amounts and a description of grants given in the first quarter, and the drug firm pledged to update the list quarterly.
According to senior officials, Pfizer hopes to gain approval in time to apply a similar kind of disclosure to all 2008 education grants. CME executives from Wyeth and Novartis added that they plan to meet with upper management on disclosing grants, as well.

“Pharmaceutical companies right now are very, very interested in being as open and as transparent as we can be, because we feel we actually have an excellent story to tell around drug safety, clinical trials and innovation,” explained Cathryn Clary, MD, MBA, Pfizer US Medical SVP. Speaking at IIR’s Medical Education Congress in Philadelphia last week, Clary said, “The same is going to apply to CME…Everything that we jointly do is going to end up being very open and transparent to the public.”

Source: More firms say they will divulge CME grants - Pharma Marketing Network Forums

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Slingbox beams into CBS newsroom

This story is a little off beat from what I normally publish, but for those who are not familiar with a Sling Box, this little unit will allow you to stream videos, live TV from your computer at home to a mobile unit, so you can be on the other side of the world and tune in to your locals news live if you want.  This is an interesting story to see the the device finding it's way to help the commercial networks as well.  This is particularly interesting as well to see the news delivered to a Windows Mobile powered cell phone too.   BD 

KPIX in San Francisco has found a way to utilize the Slingbox to cheaply and easily deliver live news, traffic and weather updates wirelessly back to its studio. Here, Don Sharp, news operations manager at the CBS affiliate, shows off video transmitted using technology he developed using a modified Slingbox, a consumer device that streams live TV or TiVo'd shows to any broadband-connected PC or Windows Mobile device.

Source: Photos: Slingbox beams into CBS newsroom | TechRepublic Photo Gallery

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Free Drug Card - Another helping hand for discounts on prescriptions

I signed up myself this evening for both plans and will begin carrying my cards.  This has also been recently featured in USA Today.  I did a small comparison for generic amoxicillin 500 mg and found the price to be between 11.97 and 12.97 for 30 generic tablets at most major drug chains.  I also looked at Cipro and there was no generic equivalent and prices for this antibiotic ranged between 167.00 and 170.00 for 30 tablets 500 mg., so it appears to be beneficial where generics are available.  I'll still take my $4.00 script at Target for the same. BD

This FREE DRUG CARD program is being sponsored by a non-profit organization to help all Americans cut their prescription drug costs. Simply download your FREE Prescription Drug Cards and receive savings of up to 75% at more than 54,000 national and regional pharmacies. Participating pharmacies include the following: Walgreens, Kroger, Rite Aid, Publix, Osco, Eckerd Drugs, SAV-ON, Longs Drug Store, Brooks Pharmacy, Winn Dixie, Albertsons, Super Fresh, and Target as well as thousands of independent pharmacies. Please enter your name and e-mail address below in each box and we will generate TWO printable membership cards for you. These cards are pre-activated and can be used immediately. These Prescription Cards are not Insurance!

"The best way to lower your drug costs. It's free.

Source: Free Drug Card

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Groups in California Take Aim at Medicare Payments

Good story to watch, especially if you practice in California and perhaps in one of the 5 counties involved in the claim..BD

Five California counties stirred things up last month with a claim that Medicare is underpaying health providers in their areas. Two days later, a barely noticed companion claim was filed -- also in California -- and that one might cause an even bigger fuss.
The second claim contends that Medicare is paying doctors too much in dozens of California counties and many other parts of the country.
Filed "on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries nationally who reside in counties with unreasonably high Medicare reimbursement rates," the claim, by Stockton attorney William Parish, could affect millions of people and shift millions of reimbursement dollars.

"The rest of the country is keenly interested in what happens," said Dario de Ghetaldi. He's the lead attorney for San Diego, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Marin and Sonoma counties, the five California counties hoping to get retroactive raises for doctors all over the country. "I don't think anything like this has been attempted before, and the implications are very significant."

Source: Groups in California Take Aim at Medicare Payments - California Healthline

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InfoVivo RescueMe Lifesaver Emergency Medical Record USB drive stick ID

This is really a great idea for all and if you read further down there's another alternative to create a free card to carry in your wallet.  Good information to pass along to patients...BD

What's your life worth?

This hardware software combination may well save your life, or that of a loved one in a medical emergency situation. If worn on a key ring, in the wallet, on a schoolbag, or in a purse, it can supply all the pertinent emergency medical record information to the paramedics, EMTs, or any other medical professional.

 It will also track all your important medical records, from pictures to charting your glucose levels, weight, cholesterol and blood pressure values.

Source: InfoVivo RescueMe Lifesaver Emergency Medical Record USB drive stick ID

Here's another alternative which is an on-line fill in form that will allow you for free to fill in the information on your pc and print a wallet size card...BD 

In an emergency situation, you may not be able to speak and give vital information concerning your health. Medical providers must sometimes treat accident victims without having any basic medical information about the individual or any way to contact someone who could provide crucial information.

A medical information card would prove to be invaluable in providing treatment by attending medics or other medical personnel. A medical identification bracelet or pendant is recommended to alert emergency medical personnel of your wallet card.

Source: About.com: http://www.medids.com/

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New Worm Targets Portable Memory Drives

This is another good reason to make sure the information you carry around on a USB drive is in fact encrypted and has an anti virus program installed.  I recommend using a San Disk U3 drive which comes with a free anti virus program on the stick and has software to encrypt documents that are carried around on the USB Drive.  In the medical arena it would certainly be a good idea to ensure you are using encryption if any sensitve patient information is contained on the device and being made portable.   Nobody wants to be another statistic with sensitive information regarding patients falling into the wrong hands.  Something to think about if you are relying on USB drives for portability.  BD 

Sophos researchers said hackers are increasingly looking for ways to attack businesses that will meet less resistance than more traditional e-mail-borne viruses and malware. The company's security experts advise users to disable the autorun facility of Windows so removable devices do not automatically launch when they are attached to a computer. Any storage device that is attached to a computer should be checked for virus and other malware before use, Sophos officials said.

Source: New Worm Targets Portable Memory Drives

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Blue Cross, Humana to expand electronic health record

 

The ACP is a compilation of information from a variety of health plans. It offers a consolidated view of a patient's medical record across doctors and providers and is an attempt to improve patient safety, prevent duplication and reduce unnecessary services and fraud.

Source: Blue Cross, Humana to expand electronic health record - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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Healthcare Payer Performance

 

Cigna rated as the easiest for physicians to do business with...full ratings available at the site..

Source: PayerView(sm) - Healthcare Payer Performance

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A Refresher on Coding Consultations

 from Medscape...subscription may be necessary...BD

Four things should be documented when a consultation is performed:

• The consultation request,
• The reason for the request,
• The services rendered,
• The report from the consultant physician.

Remember these as the four R's: request, reason, render and report.

The requesting physician should document the request for consultation in the patient record, noting the specific reason for the consultation and how the consultant physician was contacted (e.g., phone, fax or letter). Likewise, the consultant physician should document that the consultation was requested, by whom and why.

Source: A Refresher on Coding Consultations

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Generics Aren't Always That Much Cheaper

Another drug comparison...another good reason to really check prices when filling your prescriptions these days, sometimes the generic is not always a bargain..and at other times it is...this site also has some other interesting stories you might want to read, with the consumer's interest at heart here...BD

Generics meds are supposed to be a cheaper alternative to name-brand drugs, but a recent Wall Street Journal found that there wasn't as much difference as you might think. — BEN POPKEN

Source: Drugs: Generics Aren't Always That Much Cheaper - Consumerist

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A Doctor's story about being a hospitalist..

 Hospitalists are the fastest growing occupation in the medical arena, now outnumbering cardiologists in numbers..BD

“I changed my mind several times while I was in medical school at UK,” he said.
Eventually he found his calling in internal medicine. Hardcastle is one of four hospitalists at The Medical Center.
“It's a new field. It's the fastest-growing medical specialty,” he said. “It started in larger towns, and it's beginning to be more popular.”
Having a hospitalist is similar to having a primary care doctor at the hospital, Hardcastle said.
“We only work in the hospital. We don't have an outside practice,” he said.
“We see patients when they come through the emergency room or when they go to the doctor and are sent to the hospital. Sometimes we see each patient twice a day.”

Source: Bowling Green Daily News

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Hospitals Bill Uninsured Patients More Than Health Insurers, Medicare, Study Finds

 

 Hospitals on average bill uninsured patients 2.5 times more than they bill health insurers and three times more than they bill Medicare for medical services, according to a study published on Tuesday in the journal Health Affairs, the Los Angeles Times reports (Yi, Los Angeles Times, 5/8). For the study, Gerard Anderson, director of the Center for Hospital Finance and Management at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, examined hospital bills between 1984 and 2004 (Colliver, San Francisco Chronicle, 5/8).
The study found that the difference in the amount hospitals bill uninsured patients and the amount they bill health insurers and Medicare more than doubled between 1984 and 2004. The largest differences in 2004 occurred at hospitals in California, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and the smallest differences occurred at facilities in Idaho, Montana, Vermont and Wyoming, according to the study. Hospitals on average receive only $39 of every $100 they bill uninsured patients, the study found (Armour, USA Today, 5/8).

Source: Coverage & Access | Hospitals Bill Uninsured Patients More Than Health Insurers, Medicare, Study Finds - Kaisernetwork.org

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Health Net Launches Nation's First Preventive Medicare Plan

 

Health Net of Arizona, Inc. today announced the first ever Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan designed specifically for seniors with high cholesterol. This product is distinctive because of its focus on prevention, seeking to delay or thwart altogether the onset of chronic illnesses linked to high cholesterol.

Source: Health Net Launches Nation's First Preventive Medicare Plan - 5/7/2007 - insurancenewsnet.com

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The O-Fone

Somebody had to do this with all the new phones on the market...very entertaining and funny...BD


Video: Microsoft's oPhone

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Blues plan offers EMR access to members, doctors ...

This is a different concept, a "read only" EMR available to physicians?  Wh does contribute and when?  Good questions to ponder...BD

The system will provide medical and prescribing history to physicians at no cost, but on a read-only basis.

Health Care Service Corp., a BlueCross BlueShield plan operator, said it is integrating the medical information of more than 11 million members of its plans in Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas into a single electronic health record that will be available, free of charge, to plan members and their physicians.

Chicago-based HCSC will allow physicians access to online records, given that many practices have been unable to acquire them due to cost or other reasons. The company is calling the system an EHR, though it is essentially the same thing as a more common term, the electronic medical record, or EMR.

However, the system is limited in that physicians are only able to view the records. They are unable to contribute to them.

Source: AMNews: May 14, 2007. Blues plan offers EMR access to members, doctors ... American Medical News

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Fax sent by United subsidiary causes security concerns ...

This says it all for faxes in a bull pen type area as anyone can pick up a paper fax and have access to information that is confidential in nature.  At least with email, you need a device to access the information...BD 

A UnitedHealth Group subsidiary agreed to stop a nationwide pilot program it was using to update practice information after physicians in New York became concerned about the possibility that their personal information could end up in the wrong hands.

Regina McNally, vice president for the division of sociomedical economics for the Medical Society of the State of New York, said several physicians contacted the medical society during the week of April 16 after they received a fax from Ingenix, a wholly owned United subsidiary that focuses on health care information technology and analysis.

Source: AMNews: May 14, 2007. Fax sent by United subsidiary causes security concerns ... American Medical News

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Hard Sell Cited as Insurers Push Plans to Elderly

 

But federal officials said that the fastest-growing type of Medicare Advantage plan generally does not coordinate care, does not save money for Medicare and has been at the center of marketing abuses.

These “private fee-for-service plans” allow patients to go to any doctor or hospital that will provide care on terms set by the insurer. In most cases, no one manages the care. And some patients have found that they have less access to care, because their doctors refuse to take patients in private fee-for-service plans.

Source: Hard Sell Cited as Insurers Push Plans to Elderly - New York Times

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Old physician ID numbers are still OK for now, Medicare says ...

 

 Washington -- The government will allow physicians who are not yet able to use their National Provider Identifiers on Medicare claims to use their old ID numbers for part of the next 12 months, but officials could pull the plug on this extension at any time.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services last month decided to implement a contingency plan when federal officials determined that not enough physicians, hospitals and other Medicare participants would be able to start using their NPIs on claims by the May 23 deadline. The new identifier will replace any existing IDs that doctors have used to bill the federal government or private insurers electronically.

Source: AMNews: May 14, 2007. Old physician ID numbers are still OK for now, Medicare says ... American Medical News

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Microsoft researching split-screen desktop software

This looks really neat and I could think of a couple other instances when this would come in handy.  BD

Propellerheads working at Microsoft Research India in Bangalore have come up with software that enables TWO PEOPLE to work on a single PC. Two sets of keyboards and mice are plugged in, and the screen is split in half. Both sessions use the same processor and memory, but have totally independent sessions. The system could double computing resources for the poor for the cost of an additional keyboard and mouse.

Via The Raw Feed                                                                      

Hat tip:  Engadget

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