REPORT: MANY AMERICANS WAIT TOO LONG FOR HEALTH CARE (June 30, 2015)
Many Americans face delayed care from provider-centered scheduling, financial barriers, and other obstacles, according to the Institute of Medicine (IOM). HealthDay reports the IOM recommends steps like providing alternatives to office visits and focusing on patient scheduling preference to improve access. |
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PAFP ACKNOWLEDGES PCMH PRACTICES IN PA. (June 29, 2015)
The Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians and Primary Healthcare Consultants are proud to announce practices we have worked with which have received patient-centered medical home (PCMH) recognition through the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Please click here for details. |
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U.S. SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS HEALTH LAW SUBSIDIES (June 26, 2015)
The United States Supreme Court has kept the Affordable Care Act intact. In a 6-3 decision in the King v. Burwell case, the court has ruled that enrollees in states which did not set up their own individual insurance exchanges can keep federal subsidies. More than 6 million will continue to be covered by the law. |
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FINAL DAY FOR SUMMER CME EARLY BIRD SAVINGS (June 25, 2015)
If you're planning on joining the PAFP for its Chesapeake Summer Escape CME Conference, today is your final day to register and receive the early bird discount of $30 off the registration fee! You won't want to miss the more-than 16 CME hours, hands-on workshops, and exciting activities like a crab feast! |
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SCANT EVIDENCE OR MEDICAL POT EFFICACY, SAYS STUDY (June 24, 2015)
The first comprehensive study on the potential benefits of medical marijuana has found that it has not been proven to work for many of the illnesses states have approved it for, reports the Associated Press. According to abc27 News, a Pennsylvania medical marijuana legalization bill may still move on. |
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STUDY: MOST AMERICANS NOW OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE (June 23, 2015)
According to a report published by JAMA Internal Medicine, more than two-thirds of Americans are now overweight or obese. In fact, the Los Angeles Times reports that obese Americans now outnumber those who are merely overweight: 67.6 million Americans over 25 are obese; 65.2 million are overweight. |
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REPORT: MANY PHYSICIANS UNPREPARED FOR ICD-10 (June 22, 2015)
ICD-10 is less than four months away, but Medscape reports many physicians are lagging behind in the testing phase. Nearly half of those surveyed said ICD-10 will make patient encounter documentation harder. Meanwhile, Medical Economics has developed a list of 20 bizarre new codes, including one for cow bites. |
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FINAL DAY TO COMPLETE MEMBER SURVEY; CHANCE TO WIN iPAD (June 19, 2015)
Today is the final day for PAFP active members to complete the member survey and be entered for a chance to win an iPad Mini. If you plan to take the survey digitally, it must be completed by 5 p.m.; mailed hard copies of the survey must be postmarked by today, June 19, 2015. Thanks for participating! |
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ONE WEEK LEFT FOR CHESAPEAKE CME SAVINGS! (June 18, 2015)
You don't want to miss the Chesapeake Summer Escape CME Conference - so register now and save! For one more week (through June 25 at 5 p.m.), you'll receive $30 off the registration fee. More than 16 hours of CME, a crab feast, eco-adventures, and an Iron Chef-style competition - what are you waiting for? |
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FDA ORDERS BAN ON TRANS FATS (June 17, 2015)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), having determined that trans fats are not "generally recognized as safe," has ordered food manufacturers to stop using the ingredient within three years. The FDA says the ban is expected to reduce coronary heart disease and prevent thousands of heart attacks. |
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PA GETS FEDS' OKAY FOR STATE-RUN MARKETPLACE (June 16, 2015)
In advance of a Supreme Court decision that could upend the health care law, Pennsylvania has sought and obtained conditional federal approval to run a state-based insurance exchange. The Associated Press reports the state's role in the marketplace would be expected to take effect in the 2016 policy year. |
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OIG TO LOOK MORE CLOSELY AT DOCS' COMPENSATION (June 15, 2015)
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is hiring more lawyers to scrutinize physician payments, according to Modern Healthcare. In particular, OIG is interested in compensation arrangements, and wants to ensure that the payments correspond to the fair market value of the services physicians are providing. |
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PAFP MEMBER WINS POMA FAMILY PHYSICIAN AWARD (June 12, 2015)
PAFP member Alfred Poggi, DO has been selected to receive the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association's (POMA) 2015 Family Physician of the Year award. He has been providing care to Somerset-area patients for more than 40 years. Congratulations, Dr. Poggi, on your well-deserved achievement! |
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BINGE DRINKING, UNDERAGE DRINKING DOWN IN U.S. (June 11, 2015)
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services administration says underage drinking in the U.S. fell from 28.8 percent to 22.7 percent between 2002 and 2013; binge drinking decreased from 19.3 to 14.2 percent over the same period. However, reports Time, alcohol remains the favorite drug for those under 20. |
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MEDICAL HOMES ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED QUALITY (June 10, 2015)
A new report in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has found that Pennsylvania's Chronic Care Initiative (CCI) was associated with increased care quality and lower use of emergency services. JAMA says patient-centered initiatives like CCI may continue to become more effective.
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STUDY: ONLINE HEALTH SEARCHES NOT ALWAYS CONFIDENTIAL (June 9, 2015)
Health information privacy and security doesn't begin and end in the doctor's office. In fact, reports NPR's All Tech Considered, some online medical searches may be seen by hidden parties, and the data sold. One expert said advertisers and others are interested in the data, which isn't subject to HIPAA rules.
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MOST DOCTORS HESITANT TO SHARE RECORDS WITH PATIENTS (June 8, 2015)
Two-thirds of doctors are reluctant to share their patients' health data with them, according to Forbes, and, 17 percent said they were fully opposed to the idea in a poll. Some doctors say that certain clinically useful data is irrelevant to patients, while others contend sharing data is integral to the doctor-patient relationship. |
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LIVE, INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS COMING TO CME CONFERENCE (June 5, 2015)
At the upcoming Chesapeake Summer Escape CME Conference, July 26-29, attendees will participate in two live interactive workshops: a Meaningful Use Q-&-A, and a musculoskeletal session. You can submit your questions in advance for either workshop - read the latest issue of Progress Notes to learn how!
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AAFP TO CMS: MAKE MU MORE PHYSICIAN-FRIENDLY (June 4, 2015)
In a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) pressed the agency to delay the implementation of its meaningful use (MU) program until physicians are better prepared. The AAFP says it will continue to evaluate each program criterion.
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LAST CALL FOR NATIONAL CONFERENCE SCHOLARSHIPS (June 3, 2015)
The American Academy of Family Physicians' (AAFP) National Conference is coming up, July 30 through Aug. 1. Don't miss it! The PAFP still has a limited number of student scholarships for those who want to attend, but time is quickly running out! Click here to learn more - the deadline to apply is Sunday, June 7.
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PAFP MEMBER SURVEY RELEASED - WIN AN iPAD MINI! (June 2, 2015)
PAFP members: You recently received, through mail and email, a short member survey which will help us to determine what worthwhile and relevant services you most appreciate from this organization. Fill out the survey for a chance to win an iPad Mini! You will need your AAFP ID number to enter the drawing. |
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CMS RELEASES PHYSICIAN PAYMENT DATA (June 1, 2015)
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in a move toward further transparency, has released new data showing how much Medicare paid physicians in 2013. According to Modern Healthcare, the data includes 950,000 physicians, nurse practitioners, and other providers, and $90 billion in Medicare funds.
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