By Mark Crane http://www.medpagetoday.com WASHINGTON, March 24 — Physicians deserve higher Medicare fees, but they may have to keep enduring annual statutory pay cuts restored at the last second by congressional action, said the chief policy director for Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. The cuts are mandated by Medicare’s sustainable growth rate pay formula that […]

By E.B. SOLOMONT http://www.nysun.com A coalition of groups aligned with trial lawyers is denouncing a possible remedy to New York‘s medical malpractice insurance crisis: a state-sponsored indemnity fund that would pay the future medical bills of injured patients. In a letter sent to Governor Paterson yesterday, the groups — including the Center for Justice & […]

Boston Business Journal – by Lisa van der Pool http://www.bizjournals.com A patient is unhappy with her cosmetic surgery results and begins to bombard her physician with voice mails and e-mails demanding a refund; her doctor ponders a restraining order. A physician has proof that his patient is “doctor shopping” to procure extra pain pills to […]

By Alex Roarty http://www.cumberlink.com Cumberland County doctors are balking at a state House bill they say could force them to accept an ill-conceived insurance plan. The bill, approved by the House on Monday, would try to provide health insurance to 273,000 low-income Pennsylvanians not currently covered. Individuals who make $20,800 or less and families of […]

Dr. Alexander Strasser – Guest essayist http://www.democratandchronicle.com Trial lawyers have had a major impact on medical care. The implied threat of a malpractice suit whenever an outcome is not entirely satisfactory to the patient and family has forced physicians to practice defensive medicine. This is especially true in radiology. It is well known that a […]

Associated Press http://www.tulsaworld.com OKLAHOMA CITY — A Tulsa-based consumer group says many Oklahoma nursing homes appear to be operating without malpractice insurance. Hugh M. Robert, executive director of the Oklahoma Center for Consumer & Patient Safety, says the lack of insurance often leaves families with no legal recourse if a nursing home patient suffers serious […]

Unnati Gandhi http://www.theglobeandmail.com CLEARWATER, B.C. — Every morning at 8 a.m., Bob Mackenzie and John Soles are already making their rounds at Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital. They slip in a few minor procedures – stitching a wound for an elderly neighbour, setting a bone for the boy across the street – before heading to the […]

By Jeremy Oberstein http://www.burbankleader.com Frustrated by the inherent limitations of the healthcare industry, Dr. Mark Gerard joined a growing group of physicians who are opting for a program that allows them more time to spend with patients. Gerard, a personal care physician in Burbank, converted his primary practice to a concierge-style service that he says […]

By: Robert Swift http://www.thedailyreview.com Gov. Ed Rendell said legislation to reform insurance regulations is just as important as a House-passed bill extending coverage to uninsured adults. As he travels across Pennsylvania, Mr. Rendell said numerous individuals approach him with stories about losing insurance coverage and not being able to get it back because of a […]