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Thought of the Week
| "In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."
Albert Einstein
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Join us September 25th, 2010!!!
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The annual ACT Kids Health Fair serves at-risk children who are eligible for metropolitan Phoenix Head Start programs, but lack appropriate medical clearances. This all-volunteer event addresses the full spectrum of health requirements: transportation to and from the children's neighborhoods, all appropriate medical screenings and immunizations, establishing and updating medical records, and arranging emergency or continuing care as needed. Over 20,000 children have been screened to date. The Maricopa County Medical Society is in its 20th year assisting the health fair (since its inception!). We would really love to have this be a fantastic year for this wonderful community event; will YOU help? The Society is in need of VOLUNTEERS for this event! Physicians, nurses, medical students, residents, friends, spouses....the more the merrier! Please join the MCMS in this great cause; you won't forget the experience! Physician Volunteer Sign-upMedical Personnel Sign-upGeneral Volunteer Sign-upSaturday, September 25th University Public School Phoenix 735 E. Fillmore Street, Phoenix, AZ 85006 SHIFTS AVAILABLE - 7:00 to 12:00pm; 11:45 to 3:30pm; All Day |
| New Health Insurance Plans Required to Provide Free Preventive Care | |
New regulations issued.
The Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and the Treasury issued new regulations on July 14th, requiring new private health plans to cover evidence-based preventive services and eliminate cost sharing requirements for such services. The new rules will help Americans gain easier access to services such as blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol tests; many cancer screenings; routine vaccinations; pre-natal care; and regular wellness visits for infants and children.
"Today, too many Americans do not get the high-quality preventive care they need to stay healthy, avoid or delay the onset of disease, lead productive lives, and reduce health care costs," said HHS Secretary Sebelius.
The regulations can be found here
Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, are responsible for 7 of 10 deaths among Americans each year and account for 75 percent of the nation's health spending. Cost sharing, including deductibles, coinsurance, or copayments, has been found to reduce the likelihood that preventive services will be used.
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| States struggle to keep doctors home | | |
Ratio of physicians to population in Arizona was 207 per 100,000 in 2004 - considerably below the national average.
After just moving to San Diego, I went to lunch in a crowded La Jolla restaurant with a friend, and he quickly exclaimed, "All those Zonies."
Zonies?
Arizona residents who escape the heat and go to San Diego for its nice balmy weather; that's why the restaurant was so packed, he said.
Our little exchange about Arizonans was carried out in good humor. It was the late 1980s and Arizona's population was beginning to escalate. Yet there was little doubt once the Zonies ended their vacations in California, that they would leave, and our restaurants would be less crowded, as well as the beaches and everything else.
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| Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association Announces New Vice President of Advocacy | The Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association (AzHHA) has named Debbie Johnston as vice president of advocacy. Currently the director of regulatory advocacy, Johnston will step into her new role on September 7. Johnston has managed AzHHA's federal and state regulatory advocacy efforts since 2004. As a liaison with association members and other stakeholders, Johnston has worked to improve policy on issues affecting our state's hospitals, including emergency services, disaster preparedness and infection prevention. Entire press release here. |
| Physician payment can vary widely for same procedures | | |
Some doctors get twice the rates of others in the same area, a new study says. Researchers suggest lowering higher fees to cut health spending.
Physicians working in the same geographic area and performing the same tasks often are paid at different rates, according to a study presented at the AcademyHealth annual research meeting June 29 in Boston.
"Some physicians may be in locations that are particularly of interest to health plans. Or they may be in larger groups and more able to negotiate effectively," said Laurence Baker, PhD, lead study author and a professor of health research and policy at Stanford University School of Medicine in California. "But it does have an element of randomness to it."
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| Most Physicians Support Reporting Impaired Colleagues, But Many Do Not Report | | |
Results from a study published in the July 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Most physicians endorse a commitment to report impaired or incompetent colleagues in their medical practice, but when faced with this situation, many do not report, according to the results of a study published in the July 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"Peer monitoring and reporting are the primary mechanisms for identifying physicians who are impaired or otherwise incompetent to practice, but data suggest that the rate of such reporting is lower than it should be," write Catherine M. DesRoches, PhD, from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues.
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| Medicaid funding extension hitting roadblocks in Congress | | |
Lawmakers have been unable to adopt a renewal of stimulus Medicaid funding. Governors warn that physician Medicaid pay could be cut.
Congress so far has failed to approve additional Medicaid funding for next year despite warnings from states that without the funds, they will be forced to adopt unprecedented cuts.
Senate Democrats included a $24.2 billion Medicaid provision in a recent jobs bill, but a June 16 motion to end debate and move to final passage -- which required 60 votes to proceed -- failed 56-40. The House on May 28 had removed the six-month, 6.2-percentage-point increase in federal Medicaid funding before adopting its version of a jobs and tax extenders bill.
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Featured Business
| | MedaBytes is a
part of the Maricopa County Medical Society's family of businesses
operating under the Medical Society Business Services. We were
established to assist the medical community with its computer and
networking needs. Like the other family members, MedaBytes strives to
offer a valuable service at a fair price.
For more information, visit:
www.medabytes.com
602.253.2983 |
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P - 602.252.2015
F - 602.256.2749
Serving medicine, serving the community since 1892...
InforMed Society is published by the
Maricopa County Medical Society.
Copyright © 2010
Questions or Comments, please email us at: InforMed@mcmsonline.com |
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