By Lofton, Lynn http://www.redorbit.com Nurse practitioners are stepping in to help meet primary healthcare needs in Mississippi, and their number is growing. They are especially helpful in medically underserved rural areas. State law requires nurse practitioners to work under the supervision of a licensed physician, but they do not have to be on site with […]

BY HILLARY S. MEEKS http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com

http://www.marketwatch.com

By GETAHN WARD http://www.wbir.com Margie Derryberry has been a patient of Dr. John Chauvin for 15 years. But that’s about to change because Derryberry can’t afford to pay a new $1,500 annual fee that Chauvin plans to charge patients on top of the cost of their insurance. The fee is part of Chauvin’s bid to […]

By Amy Lynn Sorrel http://www.ama-assn.org The U.S. Supreme Court recently narrowed the application of the False Claims Act in a decision experts say could have implications in health care fraud cases. The ruling in Allison Engine Co. Inc. v. United States comes at a time when some federal lawmakers are seeking to broaden the scope […]

By Maggie Mahar, Health Beat http://www.alternet.org This article originally appeared on Health Beat. More and more doctors are fed up with private insurers. It’s not just a question of how stingy they are, but how difficult it is to get reimbursed. Paperwork, phone calls, insurers who play games by deliberately making reimbursement forms difficult to […]

http://www.marketwatch.com OLDWICK, N.J., Jul 18, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of B+ (Good) and issuer credit rating of “bbb-” of Risk Assurance Company of Saint Peter’s University Hospital (RAC) (Cayman Islands). The outlook for both ratings is negative. Concurrently, A.M. Best has withdrawn the ratings and assigned […]

By JUNG EUN LEE http://www.ajc.com

http://www.washingtontimes.com COMMENTARY: In April, a tiny step was taken that may have costly consequences for American health care. The Council for the Advancement of Comprehensive Care (CACC) and the National Board of Medical Examiners announced that, beginning this autumn, they will offer a voluntary exam for nurse practitioners (NPs) to gain certification as a DNP […]