Practice Management News

WAIKOLOA, Hawaii — There is “nothing but good news” for ambulatory surgery centers with regard to Medicare payments, Kevin J. Corcoran, COE, CPC, CPMA, FNAO, said at Hawaiian Eye 2019, where he delivered his yearly update. Corcoran received Sunday’s Speaker of the Day award.

WAIKOLOA, Hawaii — Special guest speaker Ron Jaworski said doctors must set their staff up for success, one of the lessons he learned from the head coaches he played for in the National Football League during his 17-year career.

WAIKOLOA, Hawaii — Lying, cheating, stealing and conflicts of interest in the health care space are all areas of interest to federal investigators.

Although a proposal by the HHS to shift certain prescription drugs from Medicare Part B to Part D may reduce total drug spending by 6.9% to 18.3%, it could also increase out-of-pocket costs for some Medicare beneficiaries, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Richard L. Litwin, MD, has been selected as the winner of the 2019 American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Foundation’s Chang Humanitarian Award, according to a press release.

If Medicare Part D paid prices for prescription medications similar to what the Department of Veterans Affairs pays, there could be an estimated annual savings of 38% to 50%, according to an analysis published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Did you know a computer can diagnose melanoma better than a board-certified dermatologist? Trained by machinery and artificial intelligence, a computerized camera system at Stanford University in a recent study accurately identified 72% of photographed cutaneous melanomas compared with only 66% accuracy by a group of board-certified dermatologists.

The pharmaceutical industry, in recent years, has been marked by a cycle of outrage from patient groups, insurers and politicians each time a particularly expensive new drug hits the market. The considerable ticket price attached to blockbuster newcomers inevitably draws a widespread public outcry, and, lingering in the media spotlight, are often cited as the most likely culprits driving the skyrocketing drug costs in the United States.

Money spent on medical marketing greatly increased from 1997 through 2016, carried largely by a significant surge in direct-to-consumer advertising, which rose from $2.1 billion to $9.6 billion during that time, according to data published in JAMA.

by Jeffrey S. Williams Jr., OD, Dipl ABO