June 2005

(06/29/2005)  --  "I will try to address this problem." That promise demonstrates the power family physicians can exert by developing relationships with their U.S. representatives and senators. More

(06/22/2005)  --  Family physicians and supporters of family medicine have contributed some $30,000 to FamMedPAC since the Academy's federal political action committee began accepting donations in May. More

(06/21/2005)  --  The AAFP has thrown its support behind legislation that would provide a $1,000-per-month tax credit to primary health care physicians who practice in underserved areas. More

(06/20/2005)  --  The most recent addition to the growing list of federal legislative proposals promoting electronic health records has garnered AAFP support -- with some caveats. More

(06/20/2005)  --  Three bipartisan bills introduced in Congress since May 10 would help establish universal use of electronic health records by "paving the highway" and helping physicians "buy the cars." More

(06/20/2005)  --  For the second time in a week, the AAFP on June 17 issued an action alert, calling on members to urge their U.S. representatives to restore funding to Section 747 of Title VII in the Public Health Service Act. In addition, an urgent mass e-mail went to Academy members. More

(06/17/2005)  --  An estimated 10 million readers will get introduced to the 2005 Family Physician of the Year through the July Reader's Digest. "Adventures of a Country Doctor" features Richard Paris, M.D., of Hailey, Idaho, showcasing his dedication to patients, high-tech exam rooms and weekly flights over the Sawtooth Mountains to a second clinic in remote Challis, Idaho. More

(06/16/2005)  --  The Association of American Medical Colleges' Organization of Resident Representatives is seeking nominations for its 2004 Community Service Award. More

(06/15/2005)  --  Skyrocketing medical liability premiums may pose a threat to physicians, but they actually hurt patients of all ages and incomes -- particularly those who already struggle with financial or geographic barriers to health care More

(06/13/2005)  --  Family physicians could obtain federal financial incentives when they implement electronic health records, according to provisions of a bipartisan bill strongly supported by the Academy. More

(06/13/2005)  --  Forging relationships for fitness' sake -- that's what Americans in Motion has been up to lately. More

(06/10/2005)  --  Looking for a handy resource that gives you recommendations on how to best target your community-based health promotion and disease prevention efforts? Look no further than the CDC's Guide to Community Preventive Services. The guide is now available online. More

(06/10/2005)  --  A letter recently published in AAFP News Now, "Claims-Filed Data No True Indicator of Care Quality," resonates with me as I've had a similar experience. More

(06/09/2005)  --  I read the article, "Accessing Prescription Assistance Programs Just Got Easier," in AAFP News Now. I want to make you aware of another resource for information on these programs. More

(06/09/2005)  --  States that limit noneconomic damages in medical liability lawsuits have more physicians per 100,000 residents -- particularly in rural counties -- than states that don’t have such limits. More

(06/09/2005)  --  Illinois became the fifth state this year to pass medical liability reform legislation that promises to provide insurance rate relief to family physicians in upcoming years. More

(06/08/2005)  --  Financial advisers are recommending that students and recent graduates consolidate their federal student loans now to avoid an almost 2 percent hike in interest rates -- the biggest in the loan program's history. More

(06/08/2005)  --  Medicaid statistics -- often little more than mind-numbing numbers in policy debates on Capitol Hill -- transformed into real people for U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris, R-Wash., June 1. That’s the day FP Anne Montgomery, M.D., of Spokane, Wash., introduced McMorris to some of the faces of Medicaid. More

(06/06/2005)  --  Family physicians: Take note of news from CMS that will help you get paid in a timely manner for services you provide. More

(06/06/2005)  --  Progress in establishing FamMedPAC, the Academy's federal political action committee, continued with the May 25 appointment of Mark Cribben, J.D., as the new organization's director. Cribben comes to the position after serving four years as the director of NEMPAC, the American College of Emergency Physicians' PAC. More

(06/05/2005)  --  The AAFP has launched an all-out campaign to convince members of Congress to reinstate funds for Section 747 of Title VII of the Public Health Service Act. The effort: urging members to contact their legislators to support the funding. More

(06/03/2005)  --  Family physicians in Mississippi will be major participants in launching a revolutionary concept in chronic care management. Beginning Aug. 1, family physicians recruited by the Mississippi Chronic Care Collaborative will begin providing a program of comprehensive care to 20,000 Medicare beneficiaries in the state. More

(06/02/2005)  --  More than half of the U.S. Senate is urging CMS to "use its inherent regulatory authority" to reinstate a moratorium on audits that have denied graduate medical education funds to hospitals that use volunteer preceptors to teach residents in nonhospital sites. The moratorium expired Dec. 31, 2004. More

(06/02/2005)  --  CMS is sending a clear message to medical associations such as the AAFP regarding dissemination of information to patients about the Medicare prescription drug benefit. That message: "You are critical to our success." More

(06/02/2005)  --  Questions from your patients about the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit may begin cropping up soon. That's because CMS was to have begun sending letters on the topic to millions of Medicare beneficiaries at the end of May, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. More

(06/01/2005)  --  The Council on Graduate Medical Education's 16th Report to Congress on the physician workforce offers "a great deal of precision," but it missed the mark in areas that are key to ensuring accurate predictions of health care workforce needs. More

(06/01/2005)  --  CMS Administrator Mark McClellan, M.D., Ph.D., has agreed to investigate agency policies on residency training at nonhospital sites that use volunteer preceptors. The review will help determine whether those sites meet statutory requirements when they use volunteer preceptors. More

(06/01/2005)  --  Health care for the uninsured hit the front page of the New York Times May 29 in an article discussing a series of meetings -- secretly held since October -- by a 24-member group. The meetings have included leaders from such varied organizations as AARP, the AFL-CIO, National Governors Association, Johnson & Johnson, United States Chamber of Commerce and AMA. And the AAFP was right there in the midst of the action. More

(06/01/2005)  --  AAFP Family Health Facts make great patient education handouts. The pocket-sized brochures cover a wide variety of health topics that often surface in family medicine. More