by Marie Price The Journal Record OKLAHOMA CITY – In 2003, if an Oklahoma medical doctor needed malpractice insurance, the Physicians Liability Insurance Co., founded by the Oklahoma State Medical Association, was pretty much the only game in town – and it was in trouble. At the time, PLICO insured between 80 percent and 85 […]

By Nancy Kimball http://www.dailyinterlake.com Dr. Ron Miller named Montana physician of the year During 36 years behind a stethoscope in the same small town, a family doctor has a pretty good chance of witnessing the parade of generations. Dr. Ron Miller has been in the front lines for many Whitefish families — and counts that […]

http://www.ama-assn.org CMS seeks doctors’ opinions on Medicare carriers Physicians and health care facilities have until April 18 to respond to the Medicare Contractor Provider Satisfaction Survey. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services uses the questionnaire to evaluate contractor performance. Medicare carriers will be required to meet performance targets by 2009. The survey focuses on […]

Pittsburgh Business Times http://www.bizjournals.com The Pennsylvania Medical Society has created a special-rate loan for Pennsylvania Medical Society members to help ease the financial hardships some physicians face in paying for malpractice insurance, the group said Tuesday. Doctors are required to carry malpractice insurance and the state has helped pay part of the premiums for years. […]

American Medical Association http://www.ama-assn.org WASHINGTON– Nearly 300 medical student, resident and fellow members of the American Medical Association (AMA) from across the nation are storming Capitol Hill today urging Congress to protect access to care for America’s patients. Throughout the day, the students, residents and fellows will visit House and Senate offices asking Congress to […]

By Roland Zemla http://www.columbiaspectator.com Amid growing paper stacks of patient charts, prescription notes, and physician orders, New York City hospitals have been flooded with medical information that has put excessive strain on the efficiency of health care delivery and patient management. For the Columbia University Medical Center, however, the classic patient-chart system may soon become […]

DIANE IVEY | Capital News Service http://blog.mlive.com LANSING– John Dircks is a doctor of pulmonary medicine in Kalamazoo and will be celebrating his retirement.The 65-year-old physician, a graduate of the University of Michigan, founded his pulmonary clinical care group in 1976, and said he looks forward to a reduced workload. But for Dircks, retirement is […]

BY ROBERT SWIFT http://www.thetimes-tribune.com HARRISBURG — Legislative leaders remain at odds over health care issues, thus making it likely a state program to reduce malpractice insurance costs for doctors will expire as scheduled on Monday. The dispute means that Pennsylvania doctors will have to make malpractice payments Monday with no state-subsidized abatement to ease the […]

By Cathleen F. Crowley http://timesunion.com Dr. Joseph Sellers walks to work at Bassett Healthcare Cobleskill, where he is a primary-care doctor. He lives in Cobleskill, and his son is mayor. Nineteen years ago, Sellers was lured to Schoharie County because the state promised to repay part of his medical school bills if he set up […]