Practice Management News

From international law firm Arnold & Porter LLP comes a timely column that provides views on current regulatory and legislative topics that weigh on the minds of today’s physicians and health care executives.

In a new twin study, researchers found that certain serum microRNAs explained the discordancy of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease between twins, and indicated they could be used as biomarkers for the disease, according to newly published data in Gut.

Health measures that can be attained through questionnaires and verbal interviews, without physical exams, show the highest accuracy in predicting cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, and other disease-related morality in adults aged 40 to 70 years, according to recently published data in the Lancet.

Resonance Health announced a new collaboration with Emory University in Atlanta, which will conduct a validation study using HepaFat-Scan technology for diagnosing children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, according to a press release.

CHICAGO — Although the theme of the ASCO Annual Meeting this year is “Illumination and Innovation,” one oncologist responded to the excitement over breakthrough research by calling for a sweeping change in how costs are determined for novel cancer treatments.

Health care professionals in nearly every field, including dentistry, ophthalmology, cosmetic surgery, podiatry, ambulatory surgery centers, bariatrics and even veterinary medicine, have seen the use of third-party patient financing programs become popular to pay for out-of-pocket costs and treatment not covered by insurance. When out-of-pocket costs for health care are high, patients may delay or decline the care they need. It can be a financial strain for many patients to write an unexpected check from their monthly budget in today’s economic environment.

In a new study conducted by researchers at University of California at Los Angeles, a portable, finger-probe device was successful in measuring liver function in brain dead adult organ donors, according to newly published data.

Over 2 million individuals, aged 65 years and over, are homebound or mostly homebound in the U.S., exceeding the population of those in nursing homes, according to recently published data in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The American College of Rheumatology praised U.S. Representative Diane Black, R-Tenn., for introducing the ICD-TEN Act that, if passed, would institute an 18-month “safe harbor” period after the Oct. 1, 2015, deadline to transition from the use of ICD-9 codes to ICD-10 codes.

CMS recently proposed a rule to update managed care regulations for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, according to a press release.