By GETAHN WARD http://www.tennessean.com At Vanderbilt University Medical Center, up to 35 percent of trauma victims come in with alcohol or drugs in their system at the time of an accident. Under state law, insurers can deny payment of those medical claims, something that doctors and hospitals argue not only costs them money but also […]

By Lory Pounder News BRECKENRIDGE — Instead of going to the emergency room after ripping the side of his leg open while riding rails in the park, the uninsured snowboarder decided to duct tape it together. About 10 days later, he heard about Dr. David Gray and gave him a call. “He’d done a pretty […]

Wells Fargo Insurance Services http://www.earthtimes.org CHICAGO, IL — 05/13/08 — Wells Fargo Insurance Services, Inc. has named Nathan Hughes national healthcare practice leader. He will be based in the Bloomington, Minn. office. In his new role, Hughes will work with healthcare professionals throughout the Wells Fargo Insurance Services organization to provide support and industry knowledge […]

By Elizabeth Cooney http://www.boston.com/ Despite assertions that high malpractice rates are driving them out of the state, Massachusetts doctors are paying less than they were in 1990, after adjusting for inflation, according to a Suffolk University Law School study. Massachusetts ranks fourth in the nation for money paid to settle malpractice cases and is one […]

Paul A. Nutting, MD, MSPH, Associate Editor http://www.annfammed.org/ Family medicine has entered a fascinating period of transition and rebirth. In 2004 the Annals was pleased to publish the Future of Family Medicine (FFM) report1 and to track the rich discussion of family physicians in practice, academia, research, and policy.2 The FFM report quickly spawned the […]

http://www.news-medical.net/ Giving physicians cash payments for reduced hospital spending can help control costs without sacrificing quality or access to care, researchers report in a study released today in the May/June 2008 issue of the journal Health Affairs. The issue is a thematic volume on health reform supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson […]

http://canadianpress.google.com EDMONTON — After they spend about 10 minutes with him in the emergency room, Jack Buchanan’s patients often end up calling him doctor. He wears a big name tag with his title – physician assistant – and always explains that he’s there to help the doctor, not take over. But some people don’t immediately […]

By Michelle Rupe Eubanks http://www.timesdaily.com/ A beautiful view and low cost of living – that’s what the Shoals has to offer young doctors looking for a place to set up practice. Compared to the heavy patient loads and poor reimbursement rates they’ll face once they relocate, the trade-off appears to be more than many care […]

By Stephen Moore http://online.wsj.com For most of the past 30 years, Mississippi has ranked as one of the poorest as well as one of the most litigious states. The two statistics are related. I met with Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour recently, and this politician, best known for helping his state rebuild after Hurricane Katrina in […]