Associated Press http://www.kvoa.com PHOENIX (AP) – An Arizona appellate court ruling says a state law on medical malpractice lawsuits is unconstitutional. At issue is a law that sets qualifications required for expert witnesses in medical malpractice cases. A three-judge panel of the state Court of Appeals says the law is unconstitutional because it violates the […]

American Medical Association http://www.earthtimes.org CHICAGO, June 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — To help reduce the substantial administrative burden of ensuring accurate insurance payments for physician services, the American Medical Association (AMA) today launched the Cure for Claims campaign to help heal the ailing system of processing medical claims with health insurers, and unveiled the first AMA National […]

By SANDEEP JAUHAR, M.D. http://www.nytimes.com

By Elizabeth Cooney http://www.telegram.com Maybe the doctor won’t see you now. That’s the fear health-care organizations in Central Massachusetts are facing as they grapple with a shortage of primary care physicians that shows no signs of abating, despite constant recruiting efforts and creative inducements to help new MDs embrace the kind of care Americans need. […]

By Liv Osby http://www.greenvilleonline.com The South Carolina Medical Association has formed a new company to offer malpractice insurance to physicians in the state. The South Carolina Physicians Assurance Company is designed as a safety net should commercial carriers leave the market during an earnings downturn, said Todd Atwater, CEO of SCMA and president of the […]

By Amy Lynn Sorrel http://www.ama-assn.org Physicians fear that a ruling handed down by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in May could stifle efforts to integrate or find other new ways to practice medicine more efficiently. The decision also highlights some of the risks involved when clinically or financially integrated practices engage in collective […]

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By  Emily Proffitt http://www.spokanejournal.com

By John Gever http://www.medpagetoday.com CHICAGO, June 13 — A five-year shortfall in applicants for cardiothoracic surgery training positions threatens to create a shortage of physicians qualified to perform open-heart surgeries, lung resections, and other major procedures, according to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Only 94 applicants applied for the 118 positions available in the National Residency […]