October 2005

(10/31/2005)  --  Interoperatibility is "essential" to implementing electronic health records, said AAFP EVP Douglas Henley, M.D., at the first meeting of the American Health Information Community on Oct. 7 in Washington. More

(10/28/2005)  --  American Family Physician and Family Practice Management just spread their wings a bit wider to reach health care professionals, researchers and the public. More

(10/27/2005)  --  In many ways, the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit focuses attention on the concept of medical homes. More

(10/26/2005)  --  In the short term, pay-for-performance may improve quality because there's definitely a margin from which to make a difference. Statistically, however, there will be a ceiling on performance and quality -- and then what? More (Members Only)

(10/26/2005)  --  More than 150 family physicians got the inside scoop on the process of developing an AAFP clinical guideline Oct. 1, when family physician Eric Wall, M.D., updated Assembly-goers on a maternity care guideline released in July. More

(10/26/2005)  --  Legislation that provides a modest increase in Medicare payment to physicians next year still fails to resolve the ongoing threat to medical practice solvency, according to an AAFP letter recently sent to Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate Finance Committee. More

(10/26/2005)  --  HHS has established a Medical Travel Center to transport hurricane evacuees from their current temporary health care centers to facilities in their home states or closer to caretakers or family. Evacuee patients who require active medical support while en route to their destinations and those who need medical transport accompanied by a nonmedical assistant qualify for this type of aid. More

(10/26/2005)  --  To help you help your patients kick the tobacco habit, the Academy is launching the project Ask and Act. This initiative will give you and your staff resources so you can quickly and easily encourage your patients to stop using tobacco. More

(10/25/2005)  --  The advent of cold and flu season has many clinicians thinking about vaccinating their older and at-risk patients against influenza, but that's not all the immunization protection adult patients need to stay healthy. Fortunately, family physicians can now turn to a tried-and-true resource -- the Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule -- for help tracking adult vaccinations recommended for 2005 - 06. More

(10/25/2005)  --  The good news: The 2005 - 06 influenza vaccination season is under way, and flu is not yet widely circulating in the general population. As of Oct. 15, only nine states had reported any flu activity whatsoever to the CDC. The bad news: CDC officials have revised flu vaccine supply estimates for this season downward, largely because vaccine manufacturer Chiron Corp. now says it will not be able to meet its earlier supply projections. In addition, two of three manufacturers of this year's trivalent inactivated flu vaccine, or TIV, only recently began shipping doses of the vaccine. More

(10/21/2005)  --  I am writing (in response to "Coding Correctly But Denied Payment? Help Is Coming") as a longtime AAFP member and managed care medical director for a physician-owned health plan. Although I admit there may be some issues with managed care plans' recoding programs, we must also acknowledge that physicians are not entirely without blame. (Discuss this story on the AAFP News Now bulletin board.) More (Members Only)

(10/21/2005)  --  Family physicians who have contracts with Humana Inc., or its subsidiaries should watch their mailboxes for a notice of proposed settlement in a class-action lawsuit against the Louisville, Ky.-based insurance company. More

(10/21/2005)  --  Family physicians are "leading the pack" in implementing electronic health records into their practices. That's how Steven Waldren, M.D., assistant director of AAFP's Center for Health Information Technology, interpreted the numbers drawn from AAFP's recently released EHR Survey More

(10/20/2005)  --  The federal government is being "too restrictive" in the number and scope of Medicare services for which physicians and patients can seek prior determination of coverage, said a letter recently sent by AAFP Board Chair Mary Frank, M.D., of Mill Valley, Calif., to CMS Administrator Mark McClellan, M.D., Ph.D. More

(10/20/2005)  --  Physicians working in Pakistan in the aftermath of the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit the region on Oct. 8 are struggling with lack of access to earthquake victims, supplies and shelter. In response, the AAFP Foundation is soliciting donations to help earthquake victims. More

(10/20/2005)  --  Health insurance companies must stop denying and delaying appropriate payment for emergency room services that are mandated by federal law. Such tactics pose serious financial burdens on hospitals and threaten patients' access to emergency care. More

(10/19/2005)  --  The AAFP recently launched a fourth Action Alert in its campaign to preserve federal support for family medicine departments. The push came as Congress began debating the details of the federal budget, which could cut discretionary federal spending to pay for the cost of rebuilding after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. More

(10/19/2005)  --  The number of medical malpractice claims is falling, but their severity is rising, according to a report released Oct. 18. A news release on the report says the frequency of malpractice claims decreased by 1 percent in the past year, while the severity of claims is growing at a rate of 7.5 percent annually. More

(10/19/2005)  --  If you're needing CME credit to finish out the year but can't find any nearby programs -- and if attending courses out of town is out of the question this time of year -- look no further than your practice's mailbox. A new "Family Medicine: CME Clinical Programs" brochure that mailed at the end of last month is your guide to all of the Academy's self-study programs and opportunities. More

(10/19/2005)  --  The AMA is asking physicians across the country to use its toll-free hotline to urge Congress to prevent Medicare cuts to physicians and, instead, to provide positive payment updates. More

(10/18/2005)  --  The Academy recently hammered home its position on items important to family physicians in a written response to CMS' proposed rule for revisions to the physician fee schedule for 2006. More

(10/18/2005)  --  The Family Medicine Forum 2005 from Dec. 8 - 11 in Vancouver, British Columbia, is the first combined Scientific Assembly of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Americas Region of Wonca, the World Organization of Family Doctors. Other groups hosting the meeting are the British Columbia College of Family Physicians and the CFPC sections of teachers and researchers. More

(10/18/2005)  --  If you're thinking about adopting an electronic health record system, new survey results from family physicians already using EHRs might be just what you need to take that final step. More

(10/17/2005)  --  Terry McGeeney, M.D., is fired up and ready to multitask. McGeeney recently was appointed CEO of AAFP's new subsidiary company, TransforMED Inc., based in Leawood, Kan. McGeeney's appointment allows the Academy to move forward with implementing its vision of a resource center to help FPs move their practices toward the new model of family medicine. TransforMED, formerly known as the Practice Resource Center, fulfills that desire. More

(10/17/2005)  --  Patients in long-term care facilities must be offered influenza vaccinations or the facility will fail to meet conditions of participation in Medicare and Medicaid, according to a CMS rule published in the Oct. 7 Federal Register. The rule took effect immediately. More

(10/17/2005)  --  Competition between hospitals and physicians to expand profitable specialty services may hinder access to care for Americans with low incomes and may curtail hospitals' primary care services. Economist Paul Ginsburg, Ph.D., offered this forecast at the primary care forum sponsored by AAFP's Robert Graham Center in Washington Oct. 13. More

(10/14/2005)  --  Each year at the AAFP Assembly, the AAFP recognizes members and others for their outstanding contributions to family medicine. The following persons were honored during this year's Assembly. More

(10/14/2005)  --  The following posters won awards at the 2005 Scientific Assembly, Sept. 28 - Oct. 2. More

(10/14/2005)  --  Here's the $64,000 question: Is flu vaccine in short supply this year? The short answer, according to the CDC, is no. More

(10/14/2005)  --  The Physicians With Heart airlift is bringing donated pharmaceuticals, medical instruments and supplies, and educational sessions to Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic, Oct. 13 - 23. More

(10/13/2005)  --  The Academy reacted promptly when CMS apparently disregarded comments from the AAFP and other organizations on proposed payment for self-contained hemoglobin A1c testing systems for physician office use. A follow-up letter fired off to CMS in late September noted the Academy's objections to CMS' proposed payment. More

(10/13/2005)  --  You can help your Medicare patients avoid prescription drug plan scams by giving them "Quick Facts About Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage and Protecting Your Personal Information," a new CMS publication that describes how to prevent identity theft and fraud as patients select a Medicare drug plan. More

(10/13/2005)  --  Citing a significant administrative burden to physicians, the AAFP asked CMS to immediately update its CPT file with code 90714 for tetanus and diphtheria toxoids adsorbed, preservative-free, for intramuscular use in individuals 7 years old or older. More

(10/12/2005)  --  The Medicare & You 2006 handbooks being mailed to your Medicare-eligible patients contain errors that could cost them unnecessary expense. That's because the books indicate low-income patients will pay no monthly premium, regardless of the plan they select. More

(10/12/2005)  --  In a letter to U.S. senators and representatives, the AAFP and 122 other national and state medical organizations have called for adequate Medicare payment to physicians in 2006 and beyond. More

(10/12/2005)  --  Scientific Assembly is over, but flu season and the upcoming holidays may not offer much downtime. Between treating colds, basting turkeys and the myriad other things that go on this time of year -- don’t forget to pay your 2006 AAFP dues. Fortunately, the Academy has an online bill payment option available to make this task quick and easy. More

(10/12/2005)  --  You may be seeing more requests for experience with musculoskeletal conditions among the medical students you precept as a result of a new report by the Association of American Medical Colleges. More

(10/11/2005)  --  Using Pap smears to detect abnormalities before they become serious is one of medicine's significant success stories. Thanks to regular screening programs, mortality rates from cervical cancer are down considerably, but "despite all the good technology, we’re still seeing 10,000 cases of invasive cervical cancer per year," said Paul Callaway, M.D., clinical associate professor of family medicine at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, Wichita. More

(10/11/2005)  --  An estimated 50 percent of patients with cardiovascular disease do not have elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in their blood, the traditional marker for cardiovascular disease risk. But in recent years, new biochemical markers have been discovered to help physicians identify and treat patients at risk for CVD. More

(10/11/2005)  --  Is it just an excuse, or is this patient really injured? That's the question many family physicians ask themselves when faced with a patient who claims a work-related injury and who wants to file a disability insurance claim. More

(10/11/2005)  --  The Congress of Delegates reaffirmed its commitment to student and resident participation in Academy governance by asking the Board of Directors to re-establish the Commission on Resident and Student Issues. More

(10/11/2005)  --  Family physicians across the country may be providing health care to displaced victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita for weeks to come. To help ensure that patients get the treatment they need and that physicians receive payment for those services, Aetna has modified its medical and pharmaceutical insurance policies through at least Oct. 31 for its policy holders from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. More

(10/11/2005)  --  "We all know we have to make a living at the end of the day," said Stephen Spann, M.D., M.B.A., as he opened his presentation "Making the Business Case for the New Model of Care" on Sept. 29. More

(10/11/2005)  --  Many family physicians are coding correctly, only to be told to cease and desist. Some FPs are being threatened with exclusion from health plans for coding higher than other physicians. So the Academy is going to put health plans' feet to the fire. More

(10/10/2005)  --  The Academy's Robert Graham Center in Washington has named its internship program the Larry A. Green Visiting Scholars Program in honor of the person who dreamed up the internships. More

(10/10/2005)  --  Current and aspiring U.S. senators and representatives who support family medicine's legislative and regulatory priorities, hold leadership positions on key committees and subcommittees, or are members of the Academy are eligible to receive campaign contributions from the Academy's federal political action committee, FamMedPAC. More

(10/10/2005)  --  On Oct. 5, HHS took another step forward in its push for nationwide implementation of electronic health records when HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced proposed new regulations that will offer financial incentives for investments in health information technology. More

(10/10/2005)  --  Students involved in family medicine interest groups want to send their peers down the river. They also want medical students to wander the halls of the state capitol, shoot the breeze next to fireplaces and josh with children in local elementary schools. More

(10/10/2005)  --  Family physician Joseph A. Leming, M.D., of Colonial Heights, Va., has been elected chair of the Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry at the Health Resources and Services Administration. More

(10/07/2005)  --  The AAFP Congress of Delegates debated topics such as patients' access to prescription medications and interference in physician-patient-family decision-making at the time of death. You can read about the delegates' actions in annotated reference committee reports. More

(10/07/2005)  --  Your patients’ risk of stroke more than doubles for each decade of life after age 55, so it's important that they be able to recognize warning signs and know how to respond quickly. More

(10/07/2005)  --  Would you like to qualify for a $500 gift certificate to Amazon.com, Best Buy or CompUSA? Here's how you can make that happen. More

(10/07/2005)  --  Newly installed AAFP President Larry Fields. M.D., of Ashland, Ky., wasted no time deciding how he wanted to reach out to members during his presidency -- the need was painfully clear. Barely two days after receiving the medal signifying the official start of his term, Fields announced his presidential philanthropic initiative: the Physicians' Disaster Assistance Program. More

(10/07/2005)  --  The 2005 Scientific Assembly drew 15,538 participants to San Francisco Sept. 28 - Oct. 2. If you didn't make it to the meeting but want to benefit from the CME, check out the Assembly CME offerings online. More

(10/06/2005)  --  It's an unfortunate reality: Elderly patients tend to have more chronic conditions that are difficult to live with; many require ongoing medical attention and treatment. More

(10/06/2005)  --  The AAFP Congress of Delegates on Sept. 27 reaffirmed the Academy's policy on preserving patients' access to appropriately prescribed medications and preserving the physician-patient relationship. More

(10/06/2005)  --  Discrimination for any reason, against any group of people, should not stand. That's the position reiterated by the Congress of Delegates on Sept. 27 when it approved a resolution that affirms the Academy's policy on discrimination based on a list of personal characteristics. More

(10/05/2005)  --  Establishing and maintaining a meaningful dialogue with patients is a key component in the management of prostate cancer, according to Warren Jones, M.D., distinguished professor of health policy at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, and an AAFP past president. In a Sept. 30 Scientific Assembly session “Prostate Cancer Controversies,” he described the challenges of screening for and treating this disease, the second leading cause of death among men. More

(10/05/2005)  --  As health care continues to change rapidly, family physicians need to find ways to remain current with clinical information. Tools are available to help, but physicians need to be careful when selecting which ones to rely on, according to Scott Strayer, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of family medicine, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville. More

(10/05/2005)  --  Between 5 percent and 10 percent of patients seen in primary care practices have a major depressive disorder. Up to 46 percent of these patients may not respond to therapy at all, and 32 percent may only partially respond to treatment. More

(10/05/2005)  --  Taking a moderate tack, the AAFP Congress of Delegates on Sept. 28 called for “ongoing meaningful change” in the American Board of Family Medicine’s process for maintenance of certification. Delegates stopped short of asking the Academy to explore alternative routes for certification or credentialing for FPs choosing not to recertify through the ABFM process. More

(10/05/2005)  --  Pay-for-performance clearly has a lot of power. Incentives work,” Alan Glaseroff, M.D., of Eureka, Calif., chief medical officer at Humboldt-Del Norte Independent Practice Association, said in a practice enhancement course he helped lead Sept. 29. “You can improve quality and can improve the bottom line.” More

(10/05/2005)  --  The 2005 Annual Clinical Focus has targeted genomics, but FPs late getting to the genetics party or having too much fun to go home may want to check out the October issue of FP Essentials, which spotlights clinical genetics. More

(10/05/2005)  --  Recent immigrants present with complex medical and psychological issues, and caring for them requires new critical thinking skills, said George Kent, M.D., clinical associate professor at the Center for Education in Family and Community Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif. More

(10/04/2005)  --  AAFP is marshaling forces to prevent a 4.4 percent cut in Medicare payments to physicians next year. In a Speak Out launched Sept. 29, the Academy asked members to contact their legislators and urge them to repeal the sustainable growth rate formula currently used to establish Medicare physician payment rates and replace it with an equitable, predictable system. More

(10/04/2005)  --  FDA and CDC officials issued a health advisory Sept. 30 alerting health professionals to reports of five cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome following vaccination with the tetravalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine, or MCV4. Sold as Menactra, the vaccine was approved earlier this year to prevent meningococcal infection in 11- to 55-year-olds. More

(10/04/2005)  --  Your patients will have access to prescription drug insurance plans that help pay for medications after they exceed the basic coverage to be provided under new Medicare Part D provisions but before they reach catastrophic coverage levels, according to federal officials. More

(10/04/2005)  --  The AAFP pledged to “go the distance” with some very special patients Sept. 29, when Board Chair Mary Frank, M.D., of Mill Valley, Calif., announced a partnership that aims to enhance access to health care and boost opportunities for healthy physical activity among Special Olympics athletes and other people with intellectual disabilities. More

(10/04/2005)  --  Vision. Hope. Tenacity. These words were used to introduce the Assembly keynote speaker, Aron Ralston, to a standing-room-only crowd during the opening ceremony Sept. 28. More

(10/03/2005)  --  The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has signed an agreement with MedImmune Inc. to develop vaccines against influenza viruses that have the potential to cause pandemics. Under the agreement, NIAID and MedImmune of Gaithersburg, Md., will produce and test multiple vaccines against potential pandemic flu strains, including the H5N1 avian influenza virus. More