Physicians object to a letter from Blue Cross seeking information that could lead to policy cancellations. By Lisa Girion, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer http://www.latimes.com The state’s largest for-profit health insurer is asking California physicians to look for conditions it can use to cancel their new patients’ medical coverage. Blue Cross of California is sending […]

By ANDY MILLER The Atlanta Journal-Constitution http://www.ajc.com Dr. Thaddeus Chapman hasn’t drawn a paycheck in two years. He’s run through his retirement account. And his wife’s. His credit score, he says, is “in the dumps,” and two business partners left the practice in search of a more profitable arrangement. “That’s not the American dream,” says […]

Report shows medical students are choosing higher-paid specialties because of heavy postgraduation debt By Diana Tith Contributing Writer As many UCSD premed students prepare to graduate and enter medical school, a realm of new experiences and challenges awaits them. Yet these students’ medical school experiences come at a price­­ — almost $130,000 in educational bills, […]

By Beth Walsh http://health-information.advanceweb.com Few would doubt that a physician dedicated to helping a hospital’s medical staff improve documentation and compliance can help improve the facility’s billing efficiency and its resulting bottom line. This recognition, in addition to the need for hospitals to be compliant with Medicare’s and Medicaid’s Conditions of Participation has resulted in […]

By Katie Watson, acting associate director of the medical humanities and bioethics program at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine http://www.chicagotribune.com Robert Jarvik’s ads for Lipitor are an important source of patient education about a terrible disease — physician addiction to drug money. Dr. Jarvik, inventor of the artificial heart, began endorsing the world’s best-selling […]

Practice Pointers. By Karen S. Schechter, AMNews contributor. Question: I have been in solo practice for 40 years and am now thinking about retiring at the end of the year. What steps do I need to take, and when should I begin the process? Answer: Closing the doors of a long-standing private medical practice should […]

“Some of the uninsured haven’t seen a doctor in 10 years or more. For such people to find conscientious medical care is an immense relief …â€? http://www.emailwire.com Rohnert Park CA — Dr. Robert Forester of Modesto, California, and his partner, Dr. R.J. Heck, have done something most family physicians would say is impossible: they give […]

By Michelle Dynes http://www.wyomingnews.com Wyoming isn’t the only state struggling to recruit doctors. But lawmakers hope an incentive package that includes moving expenses, two years worth of malpractice insurance premiums and a signing bonus of up to $30,000 will make the state a more attractive option for medical professionals. Senate File 35 would create a […]

By Chris Dickerson -Kanawha Bureau http://www.wvrecord.com A Charleston surgeon was awarded $25 million by a jury Thursday after it ruled Charleston Area Medical Center damaged the doctor’s reputation by wrongfully revoking his privileges. After a two-week trial, the Kanawha County jury deliberated three hours before returning the verdict in favor of R.E. Hamrick that included […]